Run to God

We live in a stressful world that makes impossible demands on our lives, affecting our mood,  how we relate to our families, and, most importantly, God. God knows how we are because he made us. He knows we need to relieve stress, so he gave us a stress plan. There are many places in God’s Word where he tells us how to deal with stress, and here is one that has meant so much to me.

Isaiah 30:15 “This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”

The secret to this plan is to develop a quiet time where you learn to trust God. This quietness, in time, becomes a way of life. It’s God’s offer that if we abandon all other hope but him and commit to the truth of his word, he will be our strength. Notice, however, the last few words of the verse, “but you would have none of it.” How do we refuse God’s offer? We do it more than we realize. We do it every time we hurry into a business decision without consulting him or every time we form a new relationship and leave him out. We do it whenever we think we can find our own happiness apart from God.

Judah said, “No thanks, God. We will ride off on swift horses” (Isaiah 30:16). How many times do we ride off in the opposite direction of God’s offer in search of our solutions? That is exactly what Jonah did and it didn’t work out too good for him. God warned Judah that their search would be futile and would end up in loneliness “like a flagstaff on a mountaintop.” We have all felt the loneliness of abandoning God’s offer of meeting with him. We often ride off in search of self-validation, but what we really long for is God’s validation.

I am encouraged to see the next verse because it tells us that although you may have refused God’s offer of communion, he still waits for you to return. God longs to be gracious to you.”

Isaiah 30:18 “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;

he rises to show you compassion.

For the LORD is a God of justice.

Blessed are all who wait for him!”

 

We Are Not Alone

I once watched a video of a little bear cub playing by himself. Then suddenly, he hears the growl of a mountain lion. He looks and screams with uncontrollable fear and runs away as fast as he can. But the lion can run faster, and he feels the lion gaining ground. The cub sees a fallen tree extended over a rushing stream, but the tree is high in the air, and the stream is far below. He is reluctant to cross the stream. But he looks back at the lion and realizes he has no choice but to try and cross the stream on the tree. With apprehension, the cub makes its way to the end of the tree but sees it does not reach the other side. The lion follows him. And when it seems he has reached his end, the tree suddenly breaks off, and the cub is swept away by the fierce current below.

The lion follows on the shore, always keeping sight of his next meal. The lion jumps to some rocks in the middle of the stream, where he can wait for this prey to come to him. The cub works to get to the far side but finds the lion has followed him and instantly pounced on him. He is defenseless against such a powerful foe.

Then suddenly, the lion retreats. You wonder what in the world happened? Then, on the shore appears a giant bear standing on two legs, mad enough to tear that lion apart. The cub runs to his mama, and she comforts him.

We have all been chased by the lion, stricken by panic and forced to find a way to escape. We have all been plunged into the water of doubt. We have all been slapped by the enemy who says, “I have you now!” We have all felt that feeling of helplessness! Then we have all heard the roar of our Lord Jesus—and have watched the enemy flee. At first, we were startled and wondered what had just happened, and then we looked, and it was the Lion of Judah who said leave my child alone! We are not alone! He is with us!