Yes, it's Tuesday. Early start on Monday that ended late prevented me from getting here and posting. I apologize for any inconvenience caused by my delay. On to the message...
We have a problem at our house. The lights in the foyer, hall, and Dear Daughter's room are not working correctly. Sometimes we flip the switch and we have lights. Sometimes we flip the switch and we have no lights. Sometimes we flip the switch and we have lights and after a few minutes we have no lights. I'm smart enough to know there's a short somewhere so I pulled all the fixtures looking for exposed wire. Finding none I made a foray into the inferno that is our summertime attic to check for damage to wiring there. Again, none to be found. Time to call my electrician friend. After a discourse on the technical minutiae of circuitry that numbed my brain, I asked him, "So what do I need to do?". His reply was simple enough for a simpleton like me, "Check all of your connections."
In Isaiah 58 and 59 the people of Israel are essentially told to "Check your connections". It is interesting to note that the people this is addressed to are a religiously minded people (see Isa. 58:2-3) who seem to be doing all the right things. But something is wrong. God is not answering when they call. God is not responding to their need. They seem to be missing something, but what?
As always, God gets down to the heart of the matter with His people. Their motive (i.e. their heart) was wrong. They were doing all the things they were "supposed" to do but they were doing it for themselves. The telling refrain of Isa. 58:3 is, "Look, you serve you own interest on your fast day...". Mere observance of religious rites can never fulfill God's purposes for your life and can never bring you the satisfaction of God's promises. The transformation God brings about in your life must begin to transform the lives around you. Only then do you find the satisfaction you are seeking.
Last week I asked you to fill in the blank, "My soul thirsts for _____". Are you not experiencing the joy of God's salvation? Are your prayers seeming to go unheard? Are you dissatisfied with your spiritual life? Let me encourage you to spiritually do what I must physically do this week at my house, check all the connections.
6 comments:
Have you found the lose connection yet? I've been keeping an ear open for a dispatch to your address for someone having been shocked! :-)
FROG
Still looking. Just hoping the house doesn't burn down before tomorrow - planning to get after it then. BTW - really enjoyed your last post.
John
Great Post John,
I think this happens in church's all the times. We get caught up in the doing of things for God that we lose our pursuit of God. Good reminder!
In my renovation this week I remembered that the ceiling fixture was defunct. My husband reminded me that the wires had started to burn so he disconnected the fixture. My solution? Call an electrician and pay him to fix it. Expensive, but cheaper than a house fire.
I also had to deal with an obsolete gas heater built into a wall. By then, I had a strategy, and I called a professional to disconnect the gas line.
As you can probably figure out, there is no metaphor in this story. Most things we can fix, but sometimes a failure is a warning that you need to call a professional, as painful as that might be to your wallet.
You tryin' to tell me something Carol??? By way of update I have checked all the connections I feel comfortable checking. I know two things about electricity. 1. It can kill you. 2. They will cut it off at the end of the month if you don't pay your bill. That said, the professional arrives tomorrow!
Sounds as if your project is making headway as well.
Subtle, huh?
Let me know how it turns out.
Post a Comment