Devotion: God’s Ways Are Not Our Ways

Please review the scripture from this weekend: Isaiah 55:6-9

The main theme in the book of Isaiah is that God acts for the sake of His glory. The Prophet Isaiah delivers a deeply concerning message to God’s people. Exiled in Babylon, the Hebrew people find themselves in the depths of their low spiritual state. You might wonder, have they hit a spiritual rock bottom yet? Through the prophet, God performs a kind of necessary heart surgery, exposing the carelessness and emptiness that have marked their relationship with Him. And yet, repeatedly, Isaiah proclaims this hopeful truth as spoken in chapter 55:1 that no person is too far gone, and it is never too late to repent and return. There’s a resounding message we don’t want to miss here and it’s that God’s extravagant grace meets His people exactly where they are and in His call for them to come to Him. Fast forward to the first century and Jesus Himself echoes this promise illustrated through His parables in Luke 15.

On some level we can all relate with this tension the Hebrew people might be experiencing in this passage. In my own flesh and selfishness, I have had seasons where my struggles have left me covering my face, hiding from God in disbelief because of how badly I “blew it” and messed up. And, there have been times when my pride has overshadowed my desire to acknowledge that I have messed up and sinned. At times, it feels as though the word sin has become known as a nasty three-letter word or something I would rather avoid naming at all. But that’s not the case with the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah wasn’t letting the Hebrew people run from their sin. Applying this passage today, Isaiah won’t let us look away either. As early as Isaiah 1:4 we hear these words: “Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity… they have forsaken the LORD… they are utterly estranged.” I think the language Isaiah is using provokes a feeling that is unsettling much like someone has been caught in an overt flagrante mischievous act. If you’ve ever been pulled over for speeding and you knew you were speeding and you see the cop get out of his car with his ticket pad… I think of that pit in the stomach and thinking to myself “I’m caught!” Or, what about when we have had an angry or inpatient moment and let loose of our tongue, and we let our words come out from our heart with an unbridled force… Yep, that’s sin. You get the idea. We know it’s wrong and we know we are caught.

Isaiah names a hard reality: sin separates us from God. Any time I think my way is better, I am trying to be my own god, I am separating myself from God in sin. For more detail, see Romans 1 or Colossians 3:1-17.

And yet, this is not the end of the story.

When we reach chapter 55 of Isaiah’s message the prophet cries out, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!” Here’s another hard truth: God’s mercy does not run dry. He calls His people not because they are qualified or cleaned up, but because they are thirsty and empty and He wants them back. The Lord beckons them to repent and come home. 

Jesus wants their heart. Everyday.
Jesus wants my heart. Everyday.
Jesus wants your heart. Everyday.

This invitation is not transactional or shallow. It is not a “genie-in-a-bottle” kind of forgiveness. Instead, it is a call to repentance. Isaiah’s prophecy points us toward the ultimate forgiveness found in our Lord Jesus. A repentance that calls for a genuine “changing of the mind” or in the Greek language would say “metanoia” found in John the Baptist’s declaration when he preached “repent for the Kingdom of God has come near.” Turning from my way of life and accepting the rightness found in a relationship with Jesus Christ is the best way to live. By seeking forgiveness and turning to Jesus I acknowledge that I am surrendering my will to His will. Change your heart and be rest assured that your soul will live. Isaiah says it so well, “Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live.”

The message in Isaiah invites us to sit and confront our sin and consider the question; what is separating us from God? Genuine repentance is in no way meant to shames us, but it restores us to a right relationship with Jesus Christ who is the living God. It is the path by which we acknowledge we are not god, but He is God! Jesus invites us into a deeper, true connection to Him, where a repentant heart receives His love, grace, and mercy.

Lord Jesus, we all have areas in our lives where we are tempted to live as though we are our own God. Reveal these areas to us, Lord. This is sin and this sin creates a barrier between us and your loving presence. Jesus, convict us and call us to change. Please forgive us of our sin and help us as we study Your living Word and experience Your love, grace, and mercy, as we restore our relationship with You.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

Written by Matt Clay

Matt and his wife Joanna have two young daughters, Emery and Madisen. The Clay’s have been members of the Sheridan community since 2014.
Matt’s spiritual growth has been influenced by the teaching of the late Dallas Willard, which led Matt to pursue an M.A. in Spiritual Formation from Spring Arbor University.
Matt works full-time in the financial industry and believes that God has called him to be a steward of His grace and presence in the marketplace.