 Who are we living to please with our plans, ourselves, the world, or God? We hear so much about the divisions in America today. We
hear about our divisions in our politics, races, sexual identities, what is sin
and what isn’t, and what is accepted and what isn’t. We here songs about it, we see different
people in all walks of life doing different things about it. We hear speeches
about it, but what wall of division should we keep up, if any, or what wall has
been placed that no one will ever break? Is there so much greed, ignorance,
hatred, and sin in America because many are living to please themselves, or the
world? First, we each must look deep within ourselves and ask
who each of us want to truly please, God, ourselves or the world? It is that
simple, either we can live to please the true God, ourselves, or the world. We
will never be able to please all, but only One. When we please ourselves or the
world we will not be pleasing our true God, and when we please God we will not
be pleasing ourselves or the world. Let us look at what happens to people who live to please
themselves, the world and God through God’s Holy Word. There are many scriptures
that tell us not to follow or trust in ourselves, and the world. Today we are
looking at one in Isaiah, chapter 30, that tells us a lot of what happens when
we follow ourselves and the world, and what happens when we turn to Him. Isaiah 30: 1-3 Woe
to the obstinate children, declares the Lord. “To those who carry out plans
that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon
sin; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge.
But Pharaoh’s protection will be to your shame, Egypt’s shade will bring you
disgrace. If a person has faith in himself making his own plans and
not considering God, they will be counting on other things and people while
making there on plans along the way. They will be forming alliances but not
with His Spirit. He will not be leading them, they will be living a life of
sin, upon sin, and those who they are relying on whether it is themselves, others,
a job they have, or a government that gives them assurance or protection all
will end in them feeling shameful and who they are relying on will bring them
disgrace. NIV Isaiah 30:15 In
repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness
and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, No, we
will flee on horses. Therefore, you will flee. You said, we will ride off on
swift horses; Therefore, your pursuers will be swift. Repentance - The
KJV uses the word “return” in the place of repentance. The Hebrew word is shuwbah is sounds like shoo-baw’ which
means retirement, withdrawal or surrender. This means God wants us to get to
the end of ourselves in our own strength and retire, withdrawal, surrender or
return to Him as being Lord of our lives. He is the only one that can deliver
us and save us from our sinful natures, greed, ignorance, and break the walls
of hatred toward one another. Rest – Hebrew word nachath
sounds like nakh’-ath. this word means rest in attitude, chill out, don’t
be afraid, anxious or loose self-control when sin comes knocking at your door.
This means our attitude only rest in Him in all circumstances when we return or
surrender ourselves to Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. Through His Spirit He
will give us a restful heart and delivers us while we wait! Quietness – this word is shaqat it sounds like shaw-kat’
it means to be undisturbed while you wait or rest. All this is what God gives
us through Jesus and our repentance or surrender to Him at the Cross, and we
keep surrendering, resting, and being undisturbed by His presence. But the rebellious
children who do not want to live by God’s Word and His teachings would not have
anything to do with surrendering, resting in quietness of His Spirit they want
to make their own plans and live their own lives the way they chose too. Have you noticed a lot of “Christians” are desiring to
only listen to pleasant things, and some have quit wanting to be confronted by
the truth of God’s word they would rather live in illusions? Isiah 30:9 These
are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the
LORD’s instruction. They say to the seers, “See no more visions and to the
prophets, “Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy
illusions. When we take our own way after God has told us to repent
of our sins or to return to Him, our rest in Him alone is our salvation, in quietness
of spirit and complete trust in Him is our strength, and we say NO, and want to
go our own way he will let us to prove we are nothing without him in this
world. Our sins will pursue us along with the wicked in the world, and one day
we will cry to Him for help! When one lives to please God and waits on Him there is
another story…. Isaiah 3018 Yet the
Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD
is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him! O people of Zion, who
live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry
for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you
the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden
no more; with your own eyes, you will see them. Whether you turn from the right
or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the
way; walk in it. Then you will defile your idols over laid with silver and your
images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and
say to them, “Away with you!” When we live to please God by waiting in surrender, rest
and undisturbed spirit relying on Him and His Spirit as our Lord we will always
hear His voice telling us where to go living out his plans and will for our lives. We will be giving up all things in
ourselves, and in our lives, that are not Him that we idolized before. Not only
do we have rest in our souls, and our hearts are full of His gracious
assurance, He does more for us! V 23 He will also send
you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the
land will be rich and plentiful. IN that day, your cattle will graze in broad
meadows. The day we surrender and wait on Him He will give us
strength, and begin blessing us in all we do, and we will have all we need to
share with others!! If you find yourself being rebellious against God because
you have chosen not to live by His word, and not to return or surrender your
soul and spirit in rest and quietness to Him. You can return, and surrender now
this day and he can begin blessing you and giving you all you need!!! Never
let Him go as you surrender your spirit, soul and body to Him everyday living
out His Word through His given Spirit that clothes you in His righteousness, strength, restful soul and unending peace!!! He loves to prove these words to all His children in Christ!! He loves to prove to you through Him you will have
all need in this life spiritually, physically and emotionally as you continue to live out His plan! Begin truly today, take that step of faith in Him and watch Him work in, through you and all around your life as you continue to follow His plan!!! |
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