Day 19…Isaiah 30:8-17

“The Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says, ‘Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.But you would have none of it.’”  (Isaiah 30:15)

Notes from the devotional:

• (Background) Jerusalem was the target of invasion by the Assyrians, and they needed to amass enough of a force to counter the Assyrians. Israel took action and sought to bribe Egypt into a coalition to help them fight the Assyrians. Isaiah was convinced Egypt was worthless as a source of help – he warned against seeking help from the Egyptians – he said this plan would backfire. Isaiah’s plan was simple – according to the word he received from the Lord, it was “only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.” But Israel did not see the wisdom of this and ignored Isaiah. And look how it turned out for them – they were eventually handed over to the Egyptians.
• We men are Mr. Fix-it kind of people. We see something that needs fixing, we fix it. We see a problem, we identify a solution, establish a plan, create a budget and goals, and move into action.
• But as activists, or Mr. Fix-it’s, we often do not see the wisdom of “quietness and confidence.” Instead, we take on the doctrine of , “God helps those who help themselves” even though we usually are so confident in our own abilities that the help of God is rarely seen as significant. We rely on ourselves, not God.
• The lesson is this: In every situation, turn to the Lord, quietly and confidently, and expect him to work! And he will!

My notes:

• I tend to be Mr. Fix-it WAY to often in my life – with Kelly, with the boys. But when it comes to my practice and office, I often do nothing. Not out of quietness and confidence, but more in hiding and lack of confidence to know I am doing the right thing.
• I see that to often I am relying on my abilities to fix the problem, or even relying on my perceived LACK of ability to fix a problem, to either tackle it head on, full of hustle and bustle and noise, or quietly avoid it in hopes nobody sees the problems or watches in case I fail.
• Why can’t I see that God is in control, HAS always been in control, and WILL ALWAYS BE in control. If that is true, then why not sit back, BE STILL, and in the quietness know that he is there to help, and he is there to give me the confidence I need to accomplish his will in every situation. Why? Humanity and sinful nature, I guess.
• To me, this is another call for QUIET meditation and devotional time, so that I CAN hear him or even begin to listen for him.

Personal challenge:

• Where do you see yourself letting go and listening for God in your circumstances? Where do you see yourself refusing to let go to him?
• Pray for more humility and wisdom to listen for him and to allow him to guide you in all circumstances.

~~from The One Year Book of Devotions for Men (Stuart Briscoe, 2000)~~