All He wants to do is bless our lives and still we reject Him by failing to recognize His great gifts and their divine source. How ungrateful Israel is today as well as in the past. We are by nature, condemned to the dither of seeking some other explanation for life's circumstances. I think the Lord is inviting us here, to put off that nature.
18 - "O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments—then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea."
Why are we so willing to settle for less? When I am living life on God's terms instead of my own, life is always better, always. Yet too often, like the rest of Israel, I tend to drift back to taking control, instead of giving control to He who is the only one who truly has it.
3 comments:
Interesting...the same verse spoke to me:)
18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments—then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.
I listened to this chapter 3 times. The first time I was confused as I often am by Isaiah. In the middle of the 2nd time, the voice was speaking to me personally, so I listened a 3rd time. I heard how patient the Lord is with my obstinacy and my plugged up ears. He whispers ‘come’ in my ear, but I refuse to hear. He desires to bless my life with peace and the strength to be righteous, yet I do not trust him enough to take up the path and simply follow. I have trusted the graven image for so long that the ‘real thing’ is blinding me.
What a wonder to be partakers of the New and Everlasting Covenant of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love that the gospel covenant is "Everlasting" in that it does not change. It has been the same covenant since the beginning and will continue forever. It is "New" in that for each of us as we come to know the Lord and make sacred binding ovenants with him...it is individual and new for us. I remember a temple president who once admonished us to come to the place in our hearts where instead of being commandment keeping people we become covenant keeping people.
The theme that has been mentioned the most in all the discussions seems to be the great need to submit and even offer our will to the Lord's terms ("Thy will be done"). The Lord sets the terms of the covenant and if we will abide in him, his promises are sure.
thank you all for your comments and helping me understand this chapter. all I can say is amen to you all. I also love the theme of being submissive to Gods will. It is interesting how the world looks at submission as week yet in the gospel those who submit to Gods will are always the ones who become strong and successful.
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