Looking Isaiah 45:22, Proverbs 29:18

I was talking to someone who said that they didn't enjoy the Old
Testament. That is so sad, because the OT is two thirds of the story! You
cannot properly understand the NT without a solid understanding of the OT.
In fact, most of the NT is written with quotes, references, and ideas taken
from the OT.
In Isaiah 45:22 the prophet writes, "Look to me, and be saved, all
the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no one else." Just prior
God speaks and says, "And there is no God beside me, a just God and a
Savior; there is no one else."
Looking is so important! People who don't look don't find. Whether
you are a Christian or someone who is searching, God desires for us to look.
Just this weekend I had the opportunity to share God's great plan for
mankind with a young lady on my flight to Dayton. We were stuck on the
runway because of weather and I was studying for my flight test that I have
to take today (and I need to start studying!); I was extremely focused and
she was trying to get a hold of her sister to let her know when she was
arriving. I noticed how fast she was able to text (speed of light) and I
commented on her ability; an ability I will never acquire because I
absolutely hate cell phones and text messaging (yes I am living in the stone
age). Well she shared about her ex-husband and her three children and I
realized that God was giving me my assignment (but Lord I have so much to
study!!!); so I closed my book and asked her if she would like to know God's
plan for her and her children. But I said, "Before you give me an answer, I
want you to know that I will need to take you back four thousand years and
work my way up to today." Now that is one way for me to get back to my
studies! Actually, I was hoping that she wanted to know...a desire to know
God's plan is paramount to finding his help...in a sense "looking."
So there we were...a delayed flight and no where to go...for
approximately two hours I had the privilege of sharing God's plan and ended
in the gospel of Matthew chapter 15 where Jesus heals the Syrophonecian
woman's demon possessed daughter because of her most famous last three
words, "Lord help, me." There were tears, and hope being birthed. It was a
miracle from our Father. Please pray for her...as always, the wicked one
will come to snatch out of the heart that which has been sown...please pray
for her husband and children...i can't wait to see God redeem this home for
his glory.
We live in a culture where people need to begin "looking" again; not
looking for redemption in a new president but in God. And it is up to us
who know the Lord to point them in the right direction...to give them
direction. In Proverbs 29:18 Solomon writes, "Where there is no vision, the
people perish; but he that keeps the law/Word, happy is he." This verse has
been so misunderstood over the centuries. The word "vision" is not referring
to man's plan for the future or someone who is a visionary and has a great
plan for the future. No, this word carries the idea of prophetic word from
God. He gave his prophets "visions" who saw not only future events but also
wrote God's plan for his people and his rules to live by.
I believe the reason that people have a hard time sharing their
faith today and why the world doesn't seem to want to listen, is because
Christianity in the west has lost touch with the directions...the
vision....and without knowing fully what God's direction and vision is (or
is "are?), there is no attraction to want what we possess. All of the trite
methods we teach today, from Evangelism explosion (and I am not saying that
the program is trite) to the pressure we place on people from the pulpit to
share their faith, is missing what is most important--and that is intimately
knowing our God through his Word...through his vision for our lives, that he
recorded in a book. Without an intimate knowledge and relationship it is
difficult to share anything with anyone. It is the same in sales. You really
cannot share about a product unless you first believe in it and know
everything about it. My son David is that way about computers and cars. He
knows so much about Apple computers and Fords that when he was fourteen he
influenced me to sell my GMC and buy a Ford truck. I hated Fords! Even now
nine years later I still can't believe that my fourteen year old was able to
talk me into this. But he was so convincing...he was able to share the
intricate details about the truck and what made it superior to other models.
It is only until we become that intimate with the knowledge of God and
intimate with God himself, that we can begin sharing our faith in such a way
that others will want to "look" to learn more. Pleas don't
misunderstand...i myself feel very privileged to have had such wonderful
opportunities lately...God is often good to me in spite of me....i have a
long way to go before I become the light he intends. May we all labor to
know him more intimately. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceeds from the mouth of God, shall man live."
(and yes, the picture was taken this morning! Snow in October...but
isn't that just amazingly beautiful with the white on that red maple?
Amazing God...how did he think this all up?!