Isaiah 30:20-21 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
Direction, wisdom, guidance from God – don’t we believers all CRAVE certainty from Him!
That’s why these verses in Isaiah linger in my thoughts; I keep coming back to them. Turning them over this way and that way, pressing them to tell me more. How will we see our Teacher? What form will He take? Why does the voice come from behind? Why does the pilgrim hear the voice either AS he makes a choice of which way to go or right after? Is God influencing his opting for one over the other? Or would either have been God’s will?
I don’t have anything specific at the moment for which I am undecided or at a loss about direction. But the teaching here FEELS weighty and timeless.
Facts:
- Hard times come from God. That’s explicit in verse 20. Makes sense, since God sovereignly creates, sustains and directs every molecule. I’ve heard RC Sproul quoted multiple times: ‘There are no maverick molecules!’
- As Isaiah records, times occur when we FEEL as God is hiding. We experience darkness and confusion. But those are periods of time that He purposes. They have a start and an end point. Often we don’t know the reason for the hard time. I’m learning that likely my Father has LOTS of purposes for the shadow times when I don’t understand. BUT the good news is, there is an appointed end. Whether we are Jonah, Job or Jesus.
- Seeing our Teacher, maybe that refers to seeing something in Scripture that pops out at us, seemingly personalized. But what shapes me more than that idea is the encouragement to LOOK for my Teacher, rather than focusing on the problem OR the confusion. So how do I look for my Teacher who is Spirit? With eyes of faith. This morning I bathed in the balm of Psalm 23:6 – For sure! goodness (towb) and mercy (chesed) are pursuing me today and every day of my days on earth. That’s how I see God – I think about what He is like, what God has promised in His Word.
- Staying with Psalm 23:6, I see a theme that repeats, God behind me….chasing me down, on my heels, just like in Isaiah. I have to trust that the crossroads are not a problem for God. Whether I go right or choose the left path, He works with that and brings me to His desired destination.
Finally, does EVERYone of us believers SEE the Teacher or experience the reassurance from Him about the chosen path? I don’t think so. For just 6 verses prior to 21 is another landmark promise from God: Isaiah 30:15 For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling.
O Comforting Holy Spirit of God – Keep bringing me to repentance. I don’t want to wander away from You, away from Your reassuring voice. I want YOUR rest and quiet, YOUR strength and salvation. I want to know that You alone make my path straight. Amen!
Reflections on God's Word 
Jul 26, 2019 @ 19:57:01
Hi Maria: I just read your latest blog, and am still pondering your LAST blog — I was so taken by the idea that when we ask God for strength in difficult challenges, we just assume that we are then the object of strength, rather than the idea that it is only GOD’S strength flowing through us that gives us that arrogant misperception. I’ve been holding on to this! NOT me, but God, is the strength, the catalyst toward surviving and moving forward. But then again: In our country today, it seems we are so quick to claim credit for our own “successes,” and to delegate our failures to other sources beyond our control, or to cast aside those who are “failing” as being beneath God’s grace and mercy. In other words: those who are “successful” are so by their own design and cleverness, and those who are the opposite are failures because of their own failings. Which is just a form of the prosperity gospel, which is so insidious. Where is humility? In all this blaming and crowing, whom do we see as our source? And what do we see as God’s true blessing? A big house with a lovely pool can be a curse, and a frantic end-of-month searching for grocery money a blessing. Depending on which brings us closer to our One True Source. Anyhow! I’ve just returned from a three-day “work retreat,” which was much more work than retreat, and am a bit weary. I hope that you and Mike are doing well in Huntsville — just heard a story about the city on NPR — and you are content in this new path, and new geography. I can’t believe we are at the end of July, with school looming so soon in front of us, but there you have it 🙂 I will miss your presence come August, but rejoice as you’ve undertaken this new path, and know that God is always at work, placing a comma where there is — by our human standards — a period:) Much love,Karen
Jul 26, 2019 @ 20:07:27
Karen – I love your reflection. Your line that I AM TAKING away is that a blessing from God is whichever circumstance brings us closer to Him. And I would add that from my experience so far i life, when I am most needy, I draw near to him out of desperation. I scour the Scriptures for LIFE. One of my sons is wealthy and I pray a lot for him because that can be a burden. I know he is aware of it. They give a lot away, but there is still so much temptation to fit into culture….and it’s hard with children. Our other son is on a fixed income and I think that is actually easier – so many choices not even an issue. I passed through Asheville (ate my lunch at the STarbucks in Biltmore) on a long 11 hour drive to Ft Bragg to spend 3 nights with Wes & ANne and kids. Then 8 yr old Noah and I drove to Huntsville, spending the night with church friends in Waynesville. It was SO hard to be back in the mountains. Maggie Valley is beautiful. I miss the hills, the mist, the birds, the trees, the calm. But I don’t miss our house OR school!!!! Friends yes. I thought of calling you, but I opted for scheduling a time on a Sunday afternoon or free time when we could calmly catch up. Let me know a good time for you. Your Dylan is a senior!!! Whew. Have the boys had a good summer? Love you, sweet friend!