Do you wish for a time such as the ones of the Bible where God was evidently seen by a pillar of fire and His glorious presence could be experienced in a very tangible way? You are not alone; In the days of Isaiah the people of Israel were looking back upon their past desiring to know God in the ways that their forefathers did. ”Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence- as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil- to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.” Isaiah 64:1-4  Why do we desire the days of yesterday’s faith? As we look back on the faith of our predecessors it is easy to look at the highs of life and think that there were never any times despair or trouble. Could that truly be the case? Can any man or woman live a life of perfect devotion to God?

As we see in Isaiah 64 and 65 humanity is prone to evil and idolatry as our sinfulness strives against God. We are deluded and disillusioned into believing that we can never be complete in God. The twisted lies that the devil has devised against our souls are effective and alluring. We are easily led away from God and towards the life of despairing depression. We need to fix our eyes on God. We need to remember that Jesus Christ died for us, Jesus Christ rose from the grave for us, Jesus Christ live to intercede for us. We must remember as the remnant of Israel did in their exilic captivity that God is faithful and hope is constant within Him. No matter where in life you must trust God.

Does God restore lives? Does God heal? Does God bring wholeness? ”They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD, and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the LORD.” Isaiah 65:22-25  Will you trust God to make you whole and complete? God will where you cannot. Trust Him.

What is motivating the people in Isaiah 27 and 28? Is it God? “Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter’; therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: “Whoever believes will not be in haste.” And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.’” Isaiah 28:15-17  The people are turning to their own ways to find fulfillment and hope. Does your outlook on life only afford you an eventual death? Can the things that motivate you bring hope?

In Isaiah 28 God, the penultimate motivator, moved to help the wayward world. When God purposed to send Jesus Christ to pay the debt of sin for mankind. Upon the cross hope and motivation were made available to us. We can hope because we have a future. We can persevere in this sinful world because our burden was released upon the cross of Calvary. In a great and wondrous act of God our motives and desires are renewed and transformed in to the desires of God. Will you find your hope and purpose in the cross of Calvary? Jesus Christ is more than enough for this life that seeks to bear down upon you. Trust Him alone.

The blessing of God was removed from the people of Israel. When the people faced an insurmountable foe they chose to run to their prowess and luck instead of trusting in God. “He has taken away the covering of Judah. In that day you looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest, and you saw that the breaches of the city of David were many. You collected the waters of the lower pool, and you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall. You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who did it, or see him who planned it long ago. In that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth; and behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’” Isaiah 22:8-13

Isaiah 22 continues to tell of the events that were set in motion because of the peoples unfaithfulness to God. “The LORD of hosts has revealed himself in my ears: ‘Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for you until you die,’ says the Lord GOD of hosts.” Isaiah 22:14 The disobedience of the people caused God’s anger to be kindled and the leaders of the city were cast down. “In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 22:25 Is there a lesson that we can apply to our lives today from this story of God’s anger being kindled? The lesson of Isaiah 22 is one of great hope to all mankind. The will of God cannot be stopped or thwarted by the schemings of man. We cannot change the will of God. What He purposes to accomplish will be brought to completion. The journey of faith we travel on will be completed by God because He is always faithful. The doubt and fear can have no hold on us because it is God who has set this journey of life in motion. Rest in the unstoppable will of God.

Why does God allow calamity to impact peoples lives so greatly? What purpose is there to the events of life? “In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the LORD of hosts shakes over them. And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians. Everyone to whom it is mentioned will fear because of the purpose that the LORD of hosts has purposed against them.” Isaiah 19:16,17 God used the example of Egypt to bring Himself glory. The world saw the hand of God was against Egypt. Can knowing what God is purposing bring comfort, hope and understanding in the midst of the moment?

In the midst of a disrupted life with no hope or comfort what, can be done? How do we press on? “In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border. It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. And the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and perform them. And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.” Isaiah 19:19-25 When we find ourselves in the middle of disheveled lives that have no purpose or hope we must remember God. We must turn to God who is our only hope and help. Will you be of the remnant that God strikes healing upon? Do not limit the power and grace of God by using only your limited, flawed, human understanding. Faith is the evidence of things unseen and we must look upon our life circumstances through the lens of faith that will birth a great hope.

Find hope in Isaiah 19:24,15, “In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.’” The things we often perceive as hopelessly lost like Egypt will play a great role in God’s story for mankind. Do you think that your life is hopeless? Is there little hope for tomorrow? Will you turn and trust in God? Turn away from the ways of the world. Just turn and start the journey of faith that will bring renewed hope and vitality to your broken life.

“So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes2:9-11  We choose to work harder pushing ourselves to reach higher levels of success giving ourselves fleeting fulfillment in the midst of our torturous toils. Is the daily grind of life all that there is to our existence? Why we are constantly striving to complete the cycle of working to live to keep working? What do we do to endure the overwhelming futility of life?

We need to remember that our inherent need is to have fellowship with God. We run to an assortment of things to make life more bearable but our perspective is flawed in our toiling. We neglect to look away from ourselves and to a God who loves us. “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.” Ecclesiastes 2:24-26  We must find our hope and security in the unmovable fact that it is God who ordains our steps. If we fix our perspective of life upon the truth that God is sovereignly in control we can endure any situation because our existence is founded on God. Can you find your hope in the truth that God is in control of your life? Will you allow your inherent need to be fulfilled by God? The cross of Calvary is the amazing wondrous testament to God’s desire to redeem you from the futility of life. Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

Was the greater battle for the people of Israel when they wrestled between relying on their own strength and the strength of God? When we are faced with our own moments of trouble and annihilation will we be willing to trust God? When we trust God we are giving up the control over our lives and placing it in the hands of God. In the moment of trust we need to remember that no matter where our lives turn God is allowing and ordaining all that happens in that moment. It is easy in the moments we need help from God to lay out the plan for our deliverance and recite it to God in detail. God is not looking for us to qualify how we want Him to help us; God desires us to trust Him and wait. When we place our expectations upon how we want and expect God to work we are truly not giving up control in our lives. Give up your striving today and let God work in the ways that only He can.

The man Naaman in 2 Kings chapter 5 was a man of renown within the armies of Aram because God had used him as a tool, a valiant warrior and captain, to bring about a great victory. This man of renown within the Aramean society was also an outcast because he was a leper. Can you imagine how this man hurt because he couldn’t live a normal life let alone enjoy the renown of life that God had granted him? If I were a leper living in during this time I would have sought out every cure that claimed to offer help. When Naaman has a young servant girl from Israel say, “I wish that my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:3  This comment from a his wife’s servant compelled Naaman to search out this man who was rumored to cure leprosy. The ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothes shows how wealthy and desperate Naaman was to be free from his curse of leprosy.

When Naaman found Elisha he expected to see a great and powerful miracle that would cure him of his leprosy. Naaman is only greeted by Elisha’s messenger saying that the cure for his leprosy was simply cleaning himself seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman leaves Elisha in a rage because he is told to wash in the river. Why was Naaman so angry about the instructions given by Elisha? Naaman could not believe that after all the battles that he had fought, places he had been, and the wealth he had obtained that such a simple act of washing in a river like the Jordan could possibly cure his leprosy. When you are thinking about how you can best serve God, do you sometimes think that what you are being asked to do is too beneath you? Why do we always think that the way God will choose to use us will always be in the limelight? What hope is there if we just serve in the mundane and simple moments in life?

I love the servant of Naaman who speaks wisdom to his master, “My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you have not done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash and be clean’? ” 2 Kings 5:13  This great captain and hero of Aram places aside his pride and experiences the God of Israel on the banks of the Jordan River. Did he feel foolish the first through sixth time cleaning himself? Can you imagine the joy that flooded through the heart of Naaman when he was cured? Naaman returned to Elisha , “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so please take a present from your servant now.” 2 Kings 5:15

How sincere is this profession Naaman made about God? In 2 Kings 5:17-19 Naaman seeks forgiveness for when he will find himself back home and in the midst of the pagan worship on a constnat basis. He knew that his role within the community of Aram would put him in positions where he would be forced to bow himself before the gods of Aram with his master but the true God of Naaman was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In the simple work of being told to wash himself to be clean the life of Naaman was forever changed. How will the lives of people around you be changed as they see God in great and mighty ways as they see the simple and mundane tasks He works through you?

In 2 Kings chapter 6 we see a tool of God at work. The man who loses the borrowed ax head runs to Elisha for help. The as head was ruined by the water but the man knew that God was able to help. Elisha caused the iron to float allowing the man to recover the ax head. The servant of Elisha becomes afraid and dismayed by the multitude of men from Aram to claim his master but when his eyes are opened he sees how God is greater than the foes that were against his master. The men from Aram are led into the heart of Samaria by Elisha because God had blinded them from seeing things as they truly were. God was using the life of Elisha as tool to bring glory to Himself.

Is God at work through people today? Is God at work today to bring glory to Himself? God is actively working to bring glory to Himself today just as he was in the days of Elisha. He needs to have people willing to be used in any situation. How often does a carpenter find his hammer telling him that he wants to be used as a saw or his nail desiring to be a pair of pliers? We are tools that God will use to complete His work here on earth and we have no ability to claim what role we will play in the work but we need to be willing to excel in whatever service we find ourselves doing. Are you willing to be a tool of God?

June 29, 2004 – This evening I sit with my mom and dad in our living room. The room looks more like a hospital room than a family living room. My dad was dying that night while my mom and I sat with him. I remember the moment he entered a new life with God and past away from this world. My mom and I began to sing songs because we didn’t know what else to do. This final moment was the last time I was with my dad here on earth. It was the saddest moment of my life to date and I really miss him with the 5 year anniversary of his death approaching.

On February 13th, 2006 – I lay in bed waiting for the longest Valentines day of my life to begin where I would face the fusion of my left foot. I remember the wonderful feeling moving my foot for the last time ever, I actually relished the time. I did not know that what laid ahead of me was many long and difficult years of surgeries but I cherished the ability I had to move my foot.

All of these final moments were turning points in my life where drastic changes happened to my faith, family, and health. There was nothing that I could to change these final moments because I see that they were all ordained by God. I do not know why God chooses to do what he does but I just trust Him.

I look back to each of the moments and there was a wonderful experience where I felt something. It was relief when God used my dad to change my life and draw me closer to Him. Pain and heart ache was felt when my dad died. When I waited for my foot to be fused I was afraid and didn’t know what would happen. I think it is easy to become so eager to get to tomorrow that we forget to see what God has us experiencing today.

I know that each moment I described God was glorified. I pray that as I continue through life I will embrace every final moment because I know that God is in that moment with me.