Posts from the Insights from Isaiah series

Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. Isaiah 59:1-2

Let’s be honest
When we pray, we expect to see an answer
Sooner rather than later.

When answers don’t come,
We start to get agitated.
Our faith gets wobbly.

“God doesn’t hear my prayers.”
“Prayer doesn’t work.”
“Prayer is a waste of time.”

Doubts creep in.
Maybe God can’t do all those things.
Maybe there are limits.

The prophet affirms the problem is NOT on God’s end.
His hand CAN save.
His ears CAN hear when we call.

The problem is our sins.
We have caused a separation.
We have severed the relationship.

So we stumble along wondering why things are difficult,
Why there is injustice and unrighteousness?
Why God won’t do something?

Perhaps the answer is closer than we care to admit.
Our sins.
Our iniquities.

Read the first post in the series – Insights from Isaiah: Come

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. Isaiah 57:15

Who?
The One who is high and lifted up.
The One who inhabits eternity.
The One whose name is holy.

Does that command your attention?
Are you ready for what this One says?
We should be.

What?
I dwell in the high and holy place
AND
I dwell with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit.

See the contrast? High and holy versus contrite and lowly.
See high and lowly form the bookends.
Contrite is sorry for sin. Holy is apart from sin.
(This is good stuff.)

Why?
To revive. To bring back to life.
The spirit of the lowly.
The heart of the contrite.

God tells us once again
How He brings us life.
How He comes to us.
Dwelling and reviving.

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

Rain never goes back to the clouds.
Snow never flutters back up to the sky.
They can’t. It violates science.
That’s not how things work.

No, snow and rain go where they are supposed to.
The earth.
They do what they were intended to do.
Water the earth.
And they accomplish their ultimate purpose.
Bringing forth fruit.

That’s the lesson in verse 10
Verse 11 begins “So.’
In the same way.
Just like that.

God’s word goes forth.
It does not return to Him. He doesn’t renege.
It accomplishes what He wants. They aren’t empty words.
And it succeeds bringing about the results He desires. They aren’t idle words.

God’s words are a reflection of His character.
When He speaks, we can have confidence.
We can find comfort.
We can face life with courage.

Last Monday’s post, Perspective, was from Isaiah 55 also. Check it out. It’s worth reading all of Chapter 55 if you have a chance.

Here’s some perspective.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

In context, God explains to His prophet
That He will show mercy to sinners.
Even though we have no standing to ask
He makes a stunning invitation.

In a wider application, God reveals Himself.
He is not simply a better version of us.
He is so far beyond us.
He is transcendent.

He doesn’t process like we do.
He doesn’t decide and hope for the best.
He doesn’t plan knowing they could fall through.
He is never surprised or caught off guard.

And if that doesn’t put things in perspective, the list goes on.

He has perfect knowledge.
He has perfect insight.
He has perfect wisdom.
He has perfect execution.

And it is this perfect, limitless, transcendent God
Who notices us in our powerlessness
And offers to do for us what we cannot do.
Then gently says, “Don’t try to figure it out. Just accept it.”

(Chapter 55 is such a good chapter. Next week, we’ll look at verse 11. If you have opportunity, soak in the entire chapter.)

The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned. Isaiah 50:4

(Isaiah records four Servant Songs. This verse is from the third. The Servant is the long-awaited Messiah, so we can follow His example.)

The Servant knows what to say.
He is learned, instructed.
He knows when to speak.
In season, not the first moment a thought pops in his head.
He knows to whom He should speak.
To the one who is weary.

How does He know this?
He explains.
Every morning the Lord GOD awakens him
To hear, to understand as the learned.
To listen as a disciple.

The Lord GOD has given us tongues to speak
Ears to listen.
Have we received His instruction?
How do we use our voices?

Do we know what to say?
When to speak?
To whom?

Read more from Isaiah.
Insights from Isaiah: Come