The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 18:4-6,
"This is what the Lord says to me:
"I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place,
like shimmering heat in the sunshine,
like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest."
For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone
and the flower becomes a ripening grape,
he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives,
and cut down and take away the spreading branches.
They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey
and to the wild animals;
the birds will feed on them all summer,
the wild animals all winter."
This prophecy against Cush (upper Nile region) by the Lord captures my attention this morning. Where Isaiah encourages his listeners to place their quiet trust in the Lord during a whirlwind of nations at war, here the Lord is seen as "quiet, contemplating calmly the frenzied scene of diplomatic and military activity", Geoffrey W. Grogan in the Expositor's Bible Commentary on Isaiah. He points out when Isaiah commended quiet trust, he was calling the people to view things from the Lord's perspective.
I am somewhat reminded of Psalm 37:7,
"Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land."
"This is what the Lord says to me:
"I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place,
like shimmering heat in the sunshine,
like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest."
For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone
and the flower becomes a ripening grape,
he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives,
and cut down and take away the spreading branches.
They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey
and to the wild animals;
the birds will feed on them all summer,
the wild animals all winter."
This prophecy against Cush (upper Nile region) by the Lord captures my attention this morning. Where Isaiah encourages his listeners to place their quiet trust in the Lord during a whirlwind of nations at war, here the Lord is seen as "quiet, contemplating calmly the frenzied scene of diplomatic and military activity", Geoffrey W. Grogan in the Expositor's Bible Commentary on Isaiah. He points out when Isaiah commended quiet trust, he was calling the people to view things from the Lord's perspective.
I am somewhat reminded of Psalm 37:7,
"Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land."
This seems like great direction for us today!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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