Eating the Bread of Hard Times Read Isaiah 30:18-33 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries. Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, “Good riddance!” Then the Lord will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock. The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind. In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill. The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the Lord begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them. (Isaiah 30:19-26) Reflect Isaiah condemned the twisted plans of the “rebellious children”—the people of Judah (Isaiah 30:1). Hezekiah had been seeking a defensive alliance with Egypt against Sennacherib of Assyria (see 2 Kings 18:21). Negotiations were underway. God warned Judah that turning to Egypt and other nations for military might could not save them. Only God could do that. The people of Judah sought advice from everyone but God. Therefore, the Lord gave his people the “adversity for food and suffering for drink” (30:20), but he promised to be with them, teach them, and guide them during hard times. Respond God expects a lot from us, and many times following him can be painful; but he always acts out of his love for us. Next time you go through a difficult time, try to appreciate the experience and grow from it, learning what God wants to teach you. God may be showing you his love by patiently walking with you through adversity.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 07:25:44 +0000
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