May 21: Not too weak to deliver…

Look, the Lord’s hand is not too weak to deliver you; his ear is not too deaf to hear you.  (Isaiah 59:1  NET)

In the time of the prophet Isaiah, God’s people had turned away from Him and had turned to false gods, sexual immorality, the love of money, theft, violence, lies, and every other thing that displeased God. Though Isaiah preached and prophesied to them, few people responded to his message of repentance and change. He was blunt about their empty professions of loyalty to God, their hypocrisy, and their repentance, because it was only words, not a changed life. Though they fasted, their evil ways spoiled their fasts and made them unacceptable to God. Isaiah’s repeated message was that God was looking for holy lives, not meaningless ritual.

When the Holy Spirit inspired Isaiah to declare today’s promise, God was saying to them, and to us, that no matter what you’ve done, no matter how far you are from Him, no matter how long you’ve been content to live hypocritical lives, He has the power and the compassion to save you and make you His children again. His hand is never too weak… His ear is never too deaf… But they, and we, had to decide to humble themselves, give up their old ways of living, and decide to do things His way.

Getting rid of sin and changing bad habits is good, but more is needed. We need to have faith in God. Faith made Abraham who he was, and faith will transform us. But faith is not what many people think it is. It’s not a feeling of excitement, or wishing that God will do something. Faith is not the emotion we feel when we hear a Gospel song that we like. Faith is being absolutely sure that what God has promised will come true in our lives. Faith is not delicate. It’s not fragile. Faith is tough, and even offends the people around us at times. Faith stubbornly insists on what it is sure of, and believes that the God of the past is alive today, and that He still does what He did in the past.

Faith is absolutely sure of today’s promise… the Lord’s hand is NOT too weak to deliver you, and His ear is NOT too deaf to hear you.  Let’s stop playing around with faith and church, and get serious! God is just waiting for people to rise up and have an audacious faith in Him.