“Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence— as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence!” Isaiah 64:1-2 ESV
Reflection: what excuses have you used for not following God’s ways?
I read an article the other day about an undercover police operation, catching a ring of criminals that were selling various “pictures” of underage children online. While we might be hearing about this all the time, what was unique about this story was that the criminals themselves were all underage, mostly teenage boys. And as the police questioned them, they claimed they didn’t know this was illegal. The whole story is heartbreaking and deeply disturbing, at so many levels. How has our western, Christian societies, our world sunken to this level? I am deeply concerned that, in our modern “religiosity” and teaching, there is a lot of talk about love and acceptance, but not much talk about God’s ways. Not much talk about the seriousness of sin, the effects of sin on the society, on families, and on the individuals. Therefore, there is little understanding of right and wrong, especially among the young.
God gave us His ways to protect us, to help us navigate this world. He also told us that we need to be the light of the world. To shine a light on sin and darkness, not to go along or accept it. We read in Revelation of the last church period, Laodicea, where many had become lukewarm. And, this characterization might be pretty fitting for (most of) our modern churches. They are lukewarm to the whole gospel. Most like to hear the message of salvation, but not so much about the need to follow God’s ways and not ways of the world. Trying to live in both, accept God and accept the world. Perhaps the deeper issue, and question really is,
do we really believe God is who He says He is?
The Israelites struggled with this. And as we read in the beginning of Isaiah chapter 64, they are asking Him for proof, to “demonstrate” His power before their enemies. We read “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence— as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence!” Isaiah 64:1 ESV. This is seems to be an effort to “test” the Lord, or in a way try to “manipulate” Him. We almost see them put a condition on God for their faith in Him. That, of course, is not faith at all. Paul wrote “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.
So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20 ESV
A timeless truth. Jesus deals with this half-committed attitude a number of times, showing up in the form of making excuses, “To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”” Luke 9:59-62 ESV. To follow the Lord is to drop our own, selfish ways and the ways of the world. We need to follow God’s ways.
“And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.”Matthew 22:1-8 ESV.
But, He continues, “Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”” Matthew 22:9-14 ESV
So, question is, are you with the world, or with the Lord? Let’s drop our excuses, and choose to follow and serve the Lord. And let us be the light of the world that Jesus called us to be.
