“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 ESV
Reflection: why do you do what you do?
Some time ago, I was asked to deliver a message to someone, a message that I think was important, and could possibly be very encouraging to the recipient. So I committed to do that, to deliver this message. And, as I had a chance to meet this person some days later, the opportunity presented itself. But, for some reason, I totally forgot about my commitment to deliver this message. However, and very interestingly, as I was driving back home again, then suddenly I remembered what I had committed to do. It was such an inconvenient timing to be reminded. But, I now had a choice – I could turn around and drive back to deliver the message; I could just drive back another day (which often doesn’t happen); or I could simply text the message to this person, which is convenient for me but not very personal. Obviously, there was the option of just forgetting the whole thing. As I kept driving towards home for a couple more minutes, the whole thing was really bothering me. So, I decided to turn around, and
deliver the message.
My spirit felt so lifted afterwards. Like I had completed a mission. It was such a small thing to do, but somehow I think it was much bigger than the words I said. As if there was a battle in the spiritual realm, and “the good guys” won. Because, the reminder to say something positive, something encouraging to someone is clearly from God, and we are His messengers. Isaiah wrote in the end of this beautiful chapter 55, ““For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”” Isaiah 55:12-13 ESV. Did you notice that?
“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace;” Isaiah 55:12a ESV
What an amazing thought! That we can go out as the messengers of the Lord, with good news, bringing peace and joy to people in need of it. We can, if we are obedient, that is. I realize afterwards why I was wrestling with whether to turn around after I received this gentle reminder to do what was right, what I had committed to do. Sadly, I was thinking about this becoming an inconvenience for me. Crazy when you think about it, how selfish we often are (Ok, I will at leaset speak for myself). Because, I firmly believe that the Lord was in that message somehow, in those words. There was more there, than just simply words.
Isaiah wrote something very interesting, prior to this idea that we go in joy and peace, saying ““For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV. His word will achieve what He indented with it, like raindrops falling on the earth. Not necessarily in a way we see or understand, and not necessarily in our timing. Because, as Isaiah writes prior to that, “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 ESV.
We just have to be obedient.
I don’t think we have to look for the “big stuff” in life to find God’s purpose for us, in order to do the will of the Lord. I think He works in what we might consider small and insignificant, like delivering a simple message. I think our actions of obedience are like raindrops falling to the ground. They will fulfill God’s purpose, and might be used to grow a beautiful flower, or the most majestic of trees.
