Lent Day 14: This is the way
Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you...
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21 NIV)
Do you ever envy the people in the Bible?
I sometimes do when I come across one of them apparently audibly hearing the voice of God like Moses with the burning bush. Of course, he receives a heavy burden with that call but there could be no doubt of what he heard.
For us, it can be far harder to identify what God is telling us. But our verse today say that God is always there telling us where to go. The context is important.
In the chapter the Lord has criticized the nation for not following his ways and being obstinate. But in verse 18 Isaiah starts to proclaim the lords blessing and answering of prayer. He declares that although they will suffer, they will know their teacher (and hear his instruction). As a result, they will destroy their idols.
While we may not always know if this job or that one is the Lord’s will, we will always know when we have elevated our work as an idol. We may not know if we should buy this car or that one, but we can notice our thoughts and if they have elevated a car to an ultimate value.
As we continue through lent, let’s take a moment to think about our idols: the things we find ourselves thinking about all the time. That demand our attention and steal it from other causes and the Lord.
Let’s throw them aside and instead listen to the Lord’s call. “This is the way; walk in it.”