Recently I have been reading through the book of Isaiah. At times I find it very difficult to understand. So this morning, before I read, I prayed that God would make clear to me what he wants me to learn from Isaiah. I then felt God was directing me to read the introduction to the prophets. I am reading The Message Remix by Eugene H. Peterson, who is the author of the introduction. I would like to quote the entire thing, but that may be a bit unnecessary, so I'll just highlight what hit me the most.
"For people who are accustomed to 'fitting God' into their lives, or, as we like to say, 'making room for God,' the prophets are hard to take and easy to dismiss. The God of whom the prophets speak is far too large to fit into our lives. If we want anything to do with God, we have to fit into Him."
"One of the bad habits that we pick up early in our lives is separating things and people into secular and sacred. We assume that the secular is what we are more or less in charge of: our jobs, our time, our entertainment, our government, our social relations. The sacred is what God has charge of: worship and the Bible, heaven and hell, church and prayers."
"God has something to say about every aspect of our lives: The way we feel and act in the so-called privacy of our hearts and homes, the way we make our money and the way we spend it, the politics we embrace, the wars we fight, the catastrophes we endure, the people we hurt and the people we help. Nothing is hidden from the scrutiny of God, nothing is exempt from the rule of God, nothing escapes the purposes of God."
Not only did I begin to understand the purpose and message of the prophets, but it really made me think about how I do "fit God into my life" instead of fitting myself in Him. God needs to be a part of everything I say and do; all day, every day. Reading the Bible, praying, worshipping, all of those things are great, but they should not be the only times we seek God. He is not separate from our jobs, entertainment, and social relations. He is a part of it. Or at least He should be.
God should be at the forefront of my mind when I'm washing dishes, when I'm changing diapers, when I'm doing laundry, and when I am teaching my daughter about His love. Nothing I have here is truly mine. It all belongs to God; my money, my possessions, and even my family. God is trusting me with these things and allowing me to use them here on Earth, but I need to treat them all as a loan. I need to put God first and consider how he wants me to use them before I do.
Nor should I ever assume that my plan will work out. I need to fit into God's plan; allow His plan to work in me. I like to be in control. I like to know what will happen next and prepare for it. But, nothing escapes the purposes of God, even my desire to be in control. The more I am willing to release control and give it to God, the easier it is for me to accept circumstances that I didn't really see coming. God has a plan for my life and it is perfect. And, as Eugene Peterson said, it is definitely much more real than the next door neighbor.
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