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
(Isaiah 48:18).
In these chapters the writer, speaking for Yahweh, makes it
clear that Babylon was his tool, employed to discipline Judah, not to destroy
it (47:6). Her harshness toward Judah will result in her own punishment. The virgin
daughter of Babylon will live as
a princess no longer (47:1).
Then God explains to those who will listen: I am the
Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you (48:17). He says that if Judah had listened in the first place,
the discipline enacted upon it would not have been necessary. How many times
have we said that to our kids? How many times have we heard that ourselves?
The fruit of discipline is obedience. The fruit of obedience
is peace. Therefore, when God disciplines us, he really is doing it for our own
good.
It seems to be our nature to challenge the limits. As long
as we think we can get away with it, we’ll try. But just like we can’t play
with fire very long without getting burned, we cannot go on living in
disobedience without paying the consequences.
Better to live according to God’s plan and know peace than
to struggle against what we perceive as restraints, but are really boundaries
for our protection.
TODAY’S MEDITATION
Where in your life do you
need peace? Is it perhaps time to admit that God really does know best?
No comments:
Post a Comment