Today is day 2 of my “Best Yes” study. It has become my intention to write, as I work toward completing this study. Lately, I am somewhere else… in a lot of different places. However hard this is, my heart needs to continue on with this study. Even if, my heart feels torn and elsewhere. I need to keep pursuing what I committed to. That’s something I know I need to be about.
Anyway,… Isaiah 30:21 is where we journey today. In the Voice translation, it says: “Your ears will hear sweet words behind you: “Go this way. There is your path; this is how you should go” whenever you must decide whether to turn to the right or the left.””
Sweet words.
How I long to hear sweet words.
Words that are sweet and instant peace
that washes over my soul.
In this Scripture, we learn that God should be the One to guide us. Is God often the One who guides me? Even now, is that who guides me? I think there is a pull to follow my emotions and be led, instead of being the one to make sure I am led by God- and not my emotions. Scripture reminds us that we need to be sober-minded (see Proverb 25:28, 1 Peter 5:8).
We need to trail back to the life of Joseph, and that whole situation with his cranky brothers in Genesis 37 and 42-43. Emotions was why the brothers of Joseph landed themselves in the hot water they experienced as they retold the same lie that Joseph died, when they didn’t want to confess that they sold him into slavery, to a foreign people.
Side Note: God definitely used Joseph where he was, to save Israel from the famine, years later. But, the brothers of Joseph had to live with their lie and decisions for the rest of their lives. Are we willing to be led by God alone?
It is not enough for us to try to guide ourselves. It is not even enough to be guided by other people. No matter how much we hoped that we could be, we just cannot be. We must be guided by the Lord alone. Only He can guide us in the way we should go. Our Best Yes’ can only come, as we spend time with the Lord alone as our guide. Now, He can use the Church to help lead us, but it can be so easy to turn to others instead of Him! Let’s choose to listen to His voice, through prayer and the Bible, and pursue a life and decisions that honor God. Let’s choose to be praying people who pray before we act.
Psalm 25:8-9 and Proverbs 3:6 deal with this topic as well.
“Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.”
Psalm 25:8-9
“In all your ways submit to him, and
he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:6
Gracefully Overcoming 