Go, and tell this people: Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand. (Isaiah 6:9 [NASB])
When the Lord spoke to Isaiah in Isaiah 6, He sent him out
to speak to the Israelites and tell them to keep listening, but don’t understand;
keep seeing, but don’t realize. Why would God want His prophet to tell people
not to see or hear and understand? This seems harsh for the God who wants all people
to come to a right relationship with Him. Yet, we must know the story better.
God sent His prophets to proclaim Him, His righteousness,
the sinfulness of man, and their need for Him as their God and Savior. He’d
done this with the people of Israel many times and never did they continue to
follow Him for long. Now, in Isaiah 6, God prepared Isaiah and would prepare
the people through him to get to the root of what really matters.
God wanted the people to be insensitive. Does this sound
cruel? No. He wanted them to be insensitive to what they heard, saw and thought
they knew. Why? Because often we think we know the best thing to do because we’ve
seen, heard, and learned. We’ve reasoned the best thing for ourselves and gone
on our own paths.
God wants us not to rely on our reasoning. He wants us to know
His mind and recognize our sinfulness. The Lord wants us to recognize we can do
nothing to get ourselves out of the mire of sin we caused. He wants to strip
away everything we think we know and get to the basics, to the root. What, rather,
Who is this root? God told Isaiah in verse thirteen. He said, “The Holy Seed is
its stump.” The Holy Seed is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus.
All of us think we know what’s best. Before we take the time
to ask God what He wants us to do or what is best in a situation, we have it
figured out for ourselves. Like with Israel, God wants us to forget what we think
we know from seeing, hearing, and reasoning. He wants us to get back to the
root of who we are; He wants us to get back to the Holy Seed, Jesus, who saved
us.
What decision do you need to make now? Who do you need to
talk to this instant? What did God tell you to do that you have not done? Get
back to the basic, to the stump, the foundation, of your being, and of your salvation
and faith. Get back to Jesus, your Savior. Seek Him and know what decision you
should make. Seek Him and know what is best for your relationship. Seek Him, ask
forgiveness, and then do what He told you to do. Let Jesus purify you so you
will be right with God and will let Him lead you.
The Stump remains.
He is our foundation upon which we grow.
Lord, I am sorry. I have put myself first and put Your guidance
behind me. I think I know what is best because I am educated and learned things
by life’s knocks. Now I remember I know very little and You know everything. You,
Lord, know what is best. I recognize You as sovereign and recommit myself to
You. Please, Lord, take my life; I give it back to You. Speak to me and guide
me in what You want me to say and what You want me to do. You, Lord, are all-knowing
and almighty. You are Savior and Redeemer. Thank you, Lord, for loving me and
wanting to guide me. I love you, Lord. Amen.
