Vital Signs: Tuesday, October 1, 2024
“The Lord says, ‘I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, "Here I am, here I am!" to a nation that did not call on my name. All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes. All day long they insult me to my face by worshiping idols in their sacred gardens. They burn incense on pagan altars. At night they go out among the graves, worshiping the dead. They eat the flesh of pigs and make stews with other forbidden foods. Yet they say to each other, "Don’t come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!" These people are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away.’” Isaiah 65:1-5 NLT
JUST ASK
Isaiah tells us that God was ready to respond, but no one asked Him for help. He constantly opened His arms to rebellious people, but rather than come to Him, they followed their crooked schemes and wicked paths. Are we doing that? Do we need God's help but are afraid to approach Him? God, who is rich in mercy, loves us and wants us to come to Him. How sad it is that we place obstacles in our own way, cutting off connection and communication with God. He is waiting for us to surrender our own strategies and start living according to His perfect plan.
Father, help us, beginning today, to say yes to Your plan, Your will, and Your journey for our lives!