Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Trusting God”
Our Bible verse for today: “The one who lives righteously and speaks rightly, who refuses gain from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears from listening to murderous plots and shuts his eyes to avoid endorsing evil – he will dwell on the heights; his refuge will be the rocky fortress, his food provided, his water assured.” Isaiah 33:15-16 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Do the right thing and then trust God for the outcome.”
Doing the right thing can be difficult. Sometimes it can also be costly, or even dangerous. That being the case, people commonly shrink from doing the right thing. They will often look for the easy way out, seeking the path of least resistance.
Sometimes they will pretend they don’t see the situation that needs to be addressed or they will simply ignore it, hoping it goes away or that someone else will deal with it. But God expects His people to be bold and to courageously deal with situations as they are, not as we wish they were.
In Isaiah chapters thirty-two and thirty-three the prophet was making this very argument to the people of Israel – and he did it by contrasting the behavior of those who pretend to be righteous but whose behavior doesn’t really bear it out, and those who truly are righteous and whose actions show that to be true. Here’s another excerpt from that dialogue:
“For a fool speaks foolishness and his mind plots iniquity. He lives in a godless way and speaks falsely about the Lord. He leaves the hungry empty and deprives the thirsty of drink. The scoundrel’s weapons are destructive; he hatches plots to destroy the needy with lies, even when the poor says what is right. But a noble person plans noble things; he stands up for noble causes.” Isaiah 32:6-8
“He stands up for noble causes.” Remember, Isaiah was writing to God’s people and he was comparing and contrasting the attitudes and actions of groups of people within the community of faith. Some of them were engaged in blatantly sinful conduct. Others were tip-toeing along the line between right and wrong – living in the grey areas between ethical and unethical behavior. Some were silently observing it all and saying nothing. Now go ahead and re-read Isaiah 33:15-16 above:
The point the prophet was making in all of this was that as the people of God we are to do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may. We are to say the things that need to be said and take the actions that need to be taken, and then trust Him for the outcome. In 33:15-16 he made it clear that God will take care of those who are faithful to Him and who do the right thing even when doing so isn’t easy.
I encourage you to have the courage and boldness to say the things that need to be said, and do the things that need to be done; then trust God for the outcome.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 