Isaiah 46 continues the story of God’s relationship to His people. These words give us some insight into that: “I’ve been carrying you on my back from the day you were born….I’ll keep on carrying you when you’re old….I’ll be there….I’ve done it and will keep on doing it, carrying you on my back, saving you”. God is the rock of our lives and the foundation of our future. He has been there, done that when it comes to being faithful to us and being our source of life and living. The issue is not with God, it is with us. I love how the Message version captures our problem. Does this describe you as well as it does me: “You’re a hardheaded bunch and hard to help”. Why do we get hardheaded when it comes to God? Why do we insist on doing things our way? Ponder for a moment your role as parent. If you had an instruction book that told you exactly how to raise kids wouldn’t that be a great value. I know for some of you, reading instructions is just not in your makeup no matter how long you flounder trying to figure out how to assemble things on your own. But God has given us an instruction book for life – the Bible – and many of us don’t read it and learn it and live it. We insist on trying things our way. God tells us how to have a relationship with Him – one filled with power and love – one capable of moving mountains. God tells us how to have a marriage that is magnificent, how to raise kids that actually obey, how to have friendships where people will lie down their lives for each other. God wrote the Book.
Problem is not with God, it is with us hard headed people. There are days when I sort of feel that way about people too. At work, in the church, in other organizations I am involved in. Why does it have to be so hard? Because people are hard headed. And I am one of them, maybe worse than most. When I run into that in my day I often wrestle with just giving up on them and moving on. But catch where God’s heart is right after He identifies how hard headed we are: “I’m ready to help you right now. Deliverance is not a long-range plan. Salvation isn’t on hold. I’m putting salvation to work in Zion now”. God is not controlled by the circumstances. He sees the big picture and you and I are right in the middle of it. He has a plan and we are it. He is not going to cut and run, but stands ready for us to get over ourselves and our stubborn approach to living and is waiting to be our God. Are you ready to let Him do that? Are you reading His instruction book for life so you can avoid all the issues that come from being hard headed? Life can be simpler if we let the One who created it in us lead us……..are you willing to let go and let God?
