Keeping the Faith; Never losing Hope; Always Loving

Isaiah 40:14 “Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice?”

This section of Isaiah is one of the beloved pieces of scripture that we have. In this section Isaiah speaks of the nature of God, the possibility of redemption, the rule of God over the world, God’s view upon the ways and structures of the world. Isaiah reminds us of who God is and exposes our attempt to make God into a created being on a level playing field with us. Isaiah affirms that God doesn’t need a thing especially help from humanity in understanding the way of the world. You can’t help but hear pieces of Job in this scripture.

Isn’t this just like us to want to offer God advice. We spend so much time acting as if we need to convince God of how something should be in the world and what He needs to do to make it right. Its like we don’t think God has a grip on our world and we need to give Him an insiders view point that will help Him out. We throw up our empty ideas of justice that only seem to cause more harm and pain in the world an then ask God to get on board and to convince God that we have a firm grip on the practice of justice. Or worse, we claim to follow God but then manipulate God’s ways into our ways and do it under the notion that this is God’s will but we are doing nothing more than expressing our own will and idea for the world. Underneath is the issue of fear to really trust that God’s ways are better than our ways. We are only able to make this leap of faith through Jesus Christ. In the grace God gives us through Christ we are able to stand up in the middle of the world and proclaim that God’s way is the way, the truth, and the life.

Lord, please forgive me for trying to manipulate, change, or offer you advice upon how to work and be in the world. May you give me the grace to realize that I am the one who does not know; I am the one who needs to be taught; I am the one who need you to reveal yourself to me. Give me the grace today to trust in your way and protect me from myself and the temptation to live my way and to manipulate my faith into being my own creation instead of your creation in me. Amen!

God’s way is not my way and when my way is transformed by God’s way I find true life.