Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Year 6, Day 34: Isaiah 50

Theological Commentary: Click Here


Discipleship Focus: Approval

  • Approval: We all need to feel as though we are accepted.  When we seek the approval of God, our Up is in the right place.  But when we seek the approval of other people besides God, we open the door to pursuing false gods and risk putting someone or something other than God in our Up position.

The middle of this chapter in Isaiah spoke to me.  The Lord has given to Isaiah a tongue of those who are taught.  It was the Lord who gave Isaiah the ability!  Morning by morning God awakens Isaiah.  It is the Lord who brings us into life and each morning it is Him who gives us a new day.  Where is it that Isaiah gets His approval?  He gets it from the Lord.

However, it is neat to read the verses that follow these, too.  When someone seeks to strike Isaiah, he gives them his back to beat.  He offers his cheeks to those who would pull out his beard.  Because he is humble in the presence of the Lord, Isaiah is able to be humble in the presence of those who oppose him.  Because Isaiah’s approval comes from God, Isaiah doesn’t need to worry about whether people like him or hate him.

Because Isaiah’s approval comes from God, he doesn’t need to worry about being put to shame or being disgraced.  Because his approval comes from the Lord, what worry does Isaiah have about experience disgrace?  Who will accuse him of guilt if God Himself approves of Isaiah?

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