We Have A God Who Answers [Isaiah 58]
8"Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9"Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am '
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
10And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.
11"And the LORD will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
Does God play the game of cat and mouse with us? Two different people asked me this basic question yesterday. Each had asked God for a specific leading. One asked, “Lord, do you want me to look for a new job or stay in the one I have?” The other had sensed God asking her to pause five days from searching for a place to live in the upcoming move, and had done so. Now the fives days were up and she had gone back to searching and still there was nothing. Her question was what did God want her to do now? Keep looking or wait for Him to show her the place?
Each of these dear ladies was frustrated. They felt they were asking God but the answers weren’t clear. They were trying to include God in the decisions but felt He was playing a game with them. Perhaps God was waiting to answer because they had not done the proper sequence. Why didn’t He just give a clear answer?
Today in my time in the book of Isaiah I read this verse, “At the time when you call, the LORD will answer; when you cry out, He will say: Here I am.” (Isaiah 58:9). It reminded me of a verse I had learned as a youth, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:2).
It struck me – these are God’s promises. He, the promise keeper, will answer immediately when we call out to Him. If this is true, then our question, “Why do You not answer?” is the wrong question. Our prayer should be, “Thank You God that You have answered me. Open my eyes to see the great and mighty things that I don’t yet know.
It is usually our own questions that muddle our minds from hearing God’s answers. Did you notice that each asked an “or” question? In each question the answer could not be “yes” or “no” because she was asking two different questions. Is it fear that causes us to do that? Fear that we will hear incorrectly, so just in case, we ask about the opposite thing at the same time?
It is clear in Scripture that God’s Spirit is committed to leading us and guiding us into truth about God "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” (John 16:13). You will know His answer by His peace. Give Him your fear and thank Him that He is not in the business of playing games with you. Let His peace guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus as you walk forward today. (Philippians 4:7).
We praise You God for being a God how hears us and answers our call. You are committed to continually guiding us (v. 11). Thank You that Your answers are greater than our expectations. Open our eyes to see Your answers.
Verna McCrillis, 10/28/2010