I’m not typically a big worrier. If you’ve known me for more than 15 years, you might not believe that. But it’s true. Instead of worrying about problems, I try to fix them.
So, right now I’m in a period of waiting on various institutions to make decisions, compile paperwork, and notify me of the results. I hate waiting. So while I wait, I evaluate as many angles as I can of any possible outcome. And then I plan. If this happens, the strategy is X. But if that happens, the strategy is Y. And then I don’t have to worry about the outcome because I’m all planned.
But sometimes I have to wait on other people to get their stuff done so that I can implement plan X, Y, or Z. Did I mention that I hate waiting? I’m not good at it.
Last night I was reading Isaiah 55. The overall theme of the passage is that when we feed our bodies, they get hungry again. When we feed our souls with the things around us, they are not satiated. But when we listen to God and feed on His promises, our souls are fed with the “richest of fare” and are satisfied. And if we continue to seek after, follow, listen to, obey God, then we will get where we are going and we’ll get there with the tools we need when we arrive.
This is a well known passage, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:8-11 NIV)
When I read this portion last night, I thought that it sounded so poetic. And then I thought, “I didn’t know that Scripture talked about the cycle of water.” But it clearly does. Precipitation comes down, waters the earth and provides food, and then returns to the sky, having completed it’s job. That makes it so much easier for me to grasp what does it mean that God’s words “will not return empty”.
I read through the chapter a second time. Versus 2-3 say, “Why spend money on what is not bread [food] and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.”
I started to wonder, am I spending my labor on “what does not satisfy?” Is all of my planning for every angle really worthwhile? Face it, only one of those scenarios is going to pan out. That means the planning for the other scenarios is in vain.
There are certainly times when it is prudent to have all of the scenarios planned out. But perhaps that’s not necessary all of the time. And if there are times where it is not necessary, then I am spending my labor on things that are worthless. And that means that I’m wasting my time on things that show that I am not trusting God.
So, how do I fix that? I don’t like things to be left hanging. Need a solution. Verses 6-7 jump in, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked [me] forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will freely pardon.”
Why would God care so much to help with my issues? He loves me. One thing my son says sometimes is, “Thank you for your kindness in helping me with my stuff.” Here’s God kindly helping me with my stuff. I wonder how many times he gets frustrated with me and thinks, “I’m your dad. Why can’t you trust me?” Not terribly unlike things I think of my kid now and then.... Only God doesn’t screw things up like I do so I should have more cause to trust him than my son would to trust me. And then verses 8-11 (mentioned earlier) jump in to the Why. God has the BIG picture and I only see a little tiny piece of the screen.
What I really want is the end result. Verses 12-13 talk about the result of intentionally trusting that God has my back. “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace...” I want joy and peace. “...the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.” I’m sure this is supposed to be figurative; that the hard stuff will give way to a mindset that is not so overwhelmed with negativity and weeds. But wouldn’t it be so cool to hear the mountains literally singing?! I want to see a tree clap it’s hands! Maybe they do and I don’t notice it because I’m too busy with whatever distraction. Perhaps I should consider the visual beauty a sort of song and maybe I should open up my ears to hear the birds, cicadas, frogs, crickets, etc, singing their songs of praise from right there on the mountain - the mountain literally bursting out in song.
And when I have joy and peace; when all of nature is singing and clapping, “This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.” I think this means that the peace and joy; the beauty that I recognize: these things cannot be taken away from me by any person or institution. In fact, as I trust in God and begin to change my mindset, other people may be encouraged to do the same. And even when I am dead and gone, that observation or understanding cannot be taken away from the other person either. An everlasting sign of the Lord’s renown which no one can destroy.
So, over the course of today, I’ve decided that one path of my planning is worthwhile. Things have happened that appear to indicate that path X is the direction I will end up pursuing. So, now I choose to focus on preparing to move forward with path X, to abandon the fruitless pursuit of path Y and to trust God to work out the details. Perhaps I will go out on my porch, which unfortunately faces away from the mountains, and listen to the crickets sing about how God provides for them on a daily basis.
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