Today’s scripture: Isaiah 24:1-24 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Jeff Miner):
For me, these early chapters in the book of Isaiah are tough slogging. Isaiah is preoccupied with judgment — one oracle of judgment after another. But I also keep reminding myself not to be too critical of Isaiah. If I had been living during his time, and my home and family were vulnerable to being overrun by enemy nations at a moment’s notice, I too would probably be hoping and praying for God’s protection for my family and God’s judgment on all potential invaders. Imagine if Indiana was a nation, and the surrounding states were deadly enemy nations, just waiting for the right time to invade and turn our kids into slaves. Geographically, that’s what Isaiah and his tiny nation faced.
So, rather than shutting myself down when I read these oracles of judgment, instead I look for embedded words and thoughts that might still be relevant to me in the modern world. And wow! Talk about relevant! Embedded in today’s passage is an amazing prophecy of environmental destruction that fits our modern global crisis to a tee. Look again at verses 4-6, with my notes added:
- The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers [global warming]; and the heavens languish together with the earth [carbon gases rising to the sky and destroying our atmosphere].
- The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants [trash and industrial waste everywhere], for they have transgressed laws, and violated statutes [people and companies disregarding laws against littering and pollution], broken the everlasting covenant [violating God’s decision in Genesis 1-3 to entrust care of the planet to us humans].
- Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt, and few people [will be] left [if we keep it up].
It’s as if the Holy Spirit decided to embed a very modern warning in these ancient biblical words — words that convict me and cause me to want to do more to justify the trust God placed in us humans to care for the planet.
A few weeks ago, someone in our congregation shared the following stunning video with me. It’s the absolute best I’ve ever seen. Will you take a moment to watch it and let God speak to your heart about the beauty of our planet and the need to lovingly care for it? Be sure to watch at least through the 4:30 mark, and you’ll see something very moving. (Hint: watch for the scene with a dog, and another one with a lionness, and, even later, one with an ape.)
Thought for the day: What small change will I make in my lifestyle to better care for our planet? It can be as simple as running less water, recycling more, adjusting my home thermostat, driving a more fuel efficient vehicle, and/or voting for candidates that care about the environment.
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.