Something New
[God said,] “Ask me for a sign, Ahaz, to prove that I will crush your enemies as I have promised.” . . . But the king refused. Isaiah 7:11-12
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King Ahaz and his people were terrified at the presence of their enemies and the imminent invasion by an army far too great for them to successfully resist. But God’s plan was to teach them a lesson, one that we can also learn from today. It is our natural tendency to seek outward, tangible signs as indications of God’s direction and as a basis for our faith in him. However, God intends to nurture in us a faith and a trust that do not require external support. The kind of faith God wants us to have is one that rests on the character of the Cross and thus paves the way for God’s supreme intervention. He’s not trying to build something new in us. He wants us to see and grow in the light of what he has already put in us through Jesus!
Prayers:
ETERNAL FATHER, forgive me for seeking outward signs rather than being drawn into closer communion with you. Though heaven and earth may pass away, you are the same yesterday, today, and forever, and I am yours. Nothing can change that. May you take pleasure in me and be glorified as I trust—not test—you.
Quotes:
TRUST GOD WHERE YOU CANNOT TRACE HIM. DO NOT TRY TO PENETRATE THE CLOUD HE BRINGS OVER YOU; RATHER LOOK TO THE BOW THAT IS ON IT. THE MYSTERY IS GOD’S; THE PROMISE IS YOURS.
John MacDuff (1818–1895)
The One Year Bible Readings for today are: Isaiah 6:1–7:25; 2 Corinthians 11:16-33; Psalm 54:1-7; Proverbs 23:1-3.
