Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.
Isaiah 48:18-19 (NIV)
“If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea. Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grains; their name would never be blotted out nor destroyed from before me.”
Isaiah 48:18-19 (MSG)
“If you had listened all along to what I told you, your life would have flowed full like a river, blessings rolling in like waves from the sea. Children and grandchildren are like sand, your progeny like grains of sand. There would be no end of them, no danger of losing touch with me.”
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“Oh, that you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your peace and prosperity would have been like a [flowing] river, and your righteousness [the holiness and purity of the nation] like the [abundant] waves of the sea. Your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants [in number] like the grains of sand; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence.” -AMPLIFIED
“O that thou hadst heardened to my commandments! – This expresses the earnest wish and desire of God. He would greatly have preferred that they should have kept his law. He had no wish that they should sin, and that these judgments should come upon them. The doctrine taught here is, that God greatly prefers that people should keep his laws. He does not desire that they should be sinners, or that they should be punished.” ~Albert Barnes
Yesterday’s text reminded Israel that God takes the time to teach His followers because He desires His people to succeed in life. In fact, He tells Israel:
“This is what Yahweh, your Kinsman-Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: “I am Yahweh, your God.
I am the One who teaches you how to succeed and who leads you step by step in the way you should go.“” -Isaiah 48:17 (The Passion Translation)
In today’s text we find Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, their Kinsman-Redeemer, imploring them to pay attention to His instructions. He sorrows over the fact that they refused to listen and learn from Him. Israel learned, and we will as well, that there are consequences to all of our choices. If only they had listened to God’s instructions and obeyed.
“If only you had listened to My instruction, then you would have been flooded with peace; your righteousness would have risen and crested like waves on the sea. Your people would have multiplied to become like the grains of sand, and your children would be like grains of wheat. And they would be forever in My mind and My presence.” -(VOICE)
As we read through this passage, and study its Message, I pray that our hearts will be open and obedient to what God desires for us to learn.
The first thing we see is that God is saddened by Israel’s continuing stubborn hearts. In the first words we immediately pick up on His deep sadness over their refusal to listen to and obey His instructions to them. If only they had obeyed, they would be experiencing a life very different than what they were experiencing right now. He then lists a few things that they were missing out on because of their disobedience and poor choices.
1.) “peace would flow on like a river.”
2.) “righteousness like the waves of the sea.”
3.) “descendants that would be numerous as the sand.”
4.) “offspring countless as its grains.”
5.) And knowing, “Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from my presence.”
(Quotes taken from the Complete Jewish Bible)
“Oh, that you had listened to my laws! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river, and great waves of righteousness. Then you would have become as numerous as the sands along the seashores of the world, too many to count, and there would have been no need for your destruction.” -(TLB)
“If they had only obeyed, then your peace would have been like a river. Peace as flowing, bountiful, and life-giving as a river. If they had only obeyed, then your righteousness would have been like the waves of the sea. Righteousness as certain, as unending, as reliable as the sea. If they had only obeyed, then your descendants would have been like the sand. Descendants as numerous and as dense in population as the sand.” ~David Guzik
If only we too would listen, and remember that there are consequences to all of our choices. Solomon taught his son the ways of Lady Wisdom. He insisted that if his son would listen to her words and obey them would find life, real life. Solomon wrote these words that we would do well to heed and follow:
“So listen, my sons and daughters, to everything I tell you,
for nothing will bring you more joy than following my ways. Listen to my counsel,
for my instruction will enlighten you. You’ll be wise not to ignore it.
If you wait at wisdom’s doorway, longing to hear a word for every day,
joy will break forth within you as you listen for what I’ll say.
For the fountain of life pours into you every time that you find me,
and this is the secret of growing in the delight and the favor of the Lord.
But those who stumble and miss me will be sorry they did!
For ignoring what I have to say will bring harm to your own soul.
Those who hate me are simply flirting with death!” -Proverbs 8:32-36 (The Passion Translation)
In Psalm 81, Asaph had this Message from God, both a rebuke and a plea:
“O My people, hear Me; I will rebuke you. Israel, Israel! If you would only listen to Me.” -Psalm 81:8-10 (VOICE)
Through Jeremiah, God spoke this Message to His people, a reminder that His intentions for them were for blessing, not judgement. If only they would listen.
“For here is what Adonai says: ‘After Bavel’s seventy years are over, I will remember you and fulfill my good promise to you by bringing you back to this place. For I know what plans I have in mind for you,’ says Adonai,‘ plans for well-being, not for bad things; so that you can have hope and a future. When you call to me and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you seek me, you will find me, provided you seek for me wholeheartedly; and I will let you find me,’ says Adonai. ‘Then I will reverse your exile. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have driven you,’ says Adonai, ‘and bring you back to the place from which I exiled you.’” -Jeremiah 29:10-14 (Complete Jewish Bible)
God’s Message has not changed. He still calls for us to listen to Him, listen and obey. In the book of Revelation, we find these words, spoken by our Savior and Lord, to the churches.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me. He who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant him to sit beside Me on My throne, as I Myself overcame (was victorious) and sat down beside My Father on His throne. He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the [Holy] Spirit says to the assemblies (churches).” -Revelation 3:20-22 (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)
“Failure to listen and hear the Lord’s instruct in the past had limited Israel’s peace (Heb. shalom) and her right conduct (Heb. sedaqa). Things could have been far better if she had only listened and obeyed. She could have experienced a ceaseless, powerful flow of His blessings.” ~Thomas Constable
My friend, we do not want to live a life full of regrets. I hope and pray that your heart is listening to, and obeying God’s instructions. His desire is to bless you, not judge you. Please, incline your ear to Him and listen and obey.
“It is sobering to think what unfulfilled potential we have, and what disobedience or unbelief keeps us from everything God has for us. “Yes, I am deeply impressed with the simplicity of the road to revival. Just twenty-four hours’ obedience in our lives, and we would be living in such a flood tide of Holy Spirit blessing that there would not be room enough to contain it!” ~Alan Redpath
My Prayer:
Adonai–Tzva’ot, God Almighty, too often I have been that rebellious child who insisted on having my own way. And the outcome of those choices have not been good. I am sorry, Lord. I realize that you cannot bless my disobedience. You have given me instructions. Your still, small voice has prompted me to obedience. Help me to humbly be obedient to your guidance and direction. Lord, I am listening; guide me I pray.
Growing with God 