"Set My Face Like A Stone"
The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. The Sovereign LORD has spoken to me, and I have listened. I have not rebelled or turned away.
Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame. (Isaiah 50:4, 5, 7 NLT)
Chapter 50 of Isaiah is full of some great statements from this challenging prophet. The above are only a few of them. I want these verses to be true of me.
It's interesting that comforting somebody with wisdom has to do with being obedient to what God has told me to do. It seems there are a couple of lessons to be learned from these verses.
First, it seems that comforting the weary is done setting the example of obedience. I suppose this is because much of weariness has to do with questioning whether what we're doing matters. If we are convinced that our actions are making a difference, then we'll keep going, pushing through any pain, difficulty, or, as Isaiah lists in verse seven, perceived shame. If I am being obedient, even when it's hard, then those who are weary will see that I'm pushing through, and be encouraged that what they're doing is worth the fight.
Second, if we will push through, obeying God even in the face of feeling disgraced or shamed, God will see to it that He is glorified, and we are not put to shame. It may look bad for a while, but, if we're obedient, He will come through. It makes me think of how many times David did what was right, and let God show the watching nation (his, and other nations) who the real bad guy was. I love the descriptive words Isaiah uses here to show how we're to be firm in our commitment to obey God: "Set my face like a stone." It's the idea that nothing will move me emotionally to change what I know I need to do, even though it may be difficult on the inside. I wonder... if I set my face in a smile, then allow it to harden like a stone in that shape (of a smile), if that would be the idea here. Hmmm...
These are just thoughts from Isaiah 50 that have struck me as I've been meditating on this section.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame. (Isaiah 50:4, 5, 7 NLT)
Chapter 50 of Isaiah is full of some great statements from this challenging prophet. The above are only a few of them. I want these verses to be true of me.
It's interesting that comforting somebody with wisdom has to do with being obedient to what God has told me to do. It seems there are a couple of lessons to be learned from these verses.
First, it seems that comforting the weary is done setting the example of obedience. I suppose this is because much of weariness has to do with questioning whether what we're doing matters. If we are convinced that our actions are making a difference, then we'll keep going, pushing through any pain, difficulty, or, as Isaiah lists in verse seven, perceived shame. If I am being obedient, even when it's hard, then those who are weary will see that I'm pushing through, and be encouraged that what they're doing is worth the fight.
Second, if we will push through, obeying God even in the face of feeling disgraced or shamed, God will see to it that He is glorified, and we are not put to shame. It may look bad for a while, but, if we're obedient, He will come through. It makes me think of how many times David did what was right, and let God show the watching nation (his, and other nations) who the real bad guy was. I love the descriptive words Isaiah uses here to show how we're to be firm in our commitment to obey God: "Set my face like a stone." It's the idea that nothing will move me emotionally to change what I know I need to do, even though it may be difficult on the inside. I wonder... if I set my face in a smile, then allow it to harden like a stone in that shape (of a smile), if that would be the idea here. Hmmm...
These are just thoughts from Isaiah 50 that have struck me as I've been meditating on this section.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
posted by Pastor Paul at
7:27 AM
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