Making Plans Without God

Today’s scripture: Isaiah 30:1-18 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?

My thoughts (Ciemone Easter-Rose):

It goes, in a well known saying: if you want to make God laugh, just tell (God) what your plans are! It almost sounds like a joke. Hilarious, right? But the reality is that most of us aren’t practicing a comedy routine when we make a major decision or change in our lives without consulting God. In fact, it’s very natural to make plans first, and then maybe just ask God about it later. Usually at that point what we’re really asking is for God to help us bring to fruition whatever it is we had already set out to do anyway. Sometimes that works out, sometimes not. Today’s passage makes it clear that God’s response to what we do is dependent upon how it aligns with God’s own will. In the end, God always has a way of discerning what is right for us, whether we agree with it or not.

Isaiah 30:1-18 illustrates one of the ways that God can deliver that message to us. It contains a perfect description of why a failure to rely on God for guidance can be problematic. For example, verses 1-5  have the word “shame” clearly spelled out, multiple times. It doesn’t appear at all as though God is laughing here. It is quite apparent actually, that when it comes to going our own way, not only does God not find it very funny, but it is also not what God wants for us. That does beg the question then, of why would we want it for ourselves?

In verses 12-17, we are shown that when God communicates a message, it can be detrimental to us if we fail to listen. The imagery in this passage gets clearer as a prophecy unfolds (albeit in a somewhat confusing manner). In essence, it seems that the “rebellious people” and “deceitful children” are those who are unwilling to listen to God’s instruction and who rejected God’s message. They are also essentially characterized as deluded (v.10), because they refuse to see or hear the truth. The remaining verses illustrate the precariousness of living life in this way. For all intents and purposes, it is basically a punishment in and of itself. But yet in verse 18 we see the nature of God revealed once again when a surprisingly merciful response is given to the people. The messages are clear:

  1. Seek God first (Start your journey right)
  2. Rely on God always (Your path is already lit)
  3. Listen to God willingly (Don’t ignore the messages)
  4. Trust God’s mercy (Wait on a God who is waiting on you)

Thought for the day: The Lord is waiting to be gracious to you. (Isaiah 30:18). You need only to seek, rely, listen, and trust.

We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.