January 1, 2025

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I, yes I AM, He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more. Remind Me [again], let us argue the matter together. State your case, so that you may be vindicated.” (Isaiah 43.25-26)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

The page has turned. It could have been the last page of a chapter leading to a next chapter. It could have been the last page of a chapter signifying the end of a book. Will another book be chosen? It could be the last page of a chapter of a book among many which have been read and now the library seems closed. What is left for us to do? It could have been the last page of a calendar, and a new year begins. We see it as a whole year and yet we there is no choice but to proceed one day at a time. Many will begin with resolutions for improvement by adding something new or different. Many will begin with resolutions for improvement saying they will simply not repeat past behaviors. Most will proceed with the acknowledgement that resolutions are fading promises of premises and procedures of good intent but little else. As I consider these many options among others which I am sure exist, one image remains clear:

We celebrated the beginning of another year by

“dropping the ball.”

From that perspective, let’s look at a word found in Isaiah which is the lead scripture for today’s reflection. “Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I, yes I AM, He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more. Remind Me [again], let us argue the matter together. State your case, so that you may be vindicated.” It would be very easy, and there is truth in it, to say in light of this word and those which preceded it in chapter 43, “It’s all about God.” Some would view this “attitude” as “See, God just wants you to do it His way.” Free will is not a “bait and switch.” God truly has designed the path and pattern of life which works. As in the words of Thomas Edison, who perfected the concept of the light bulb after many attempts, “I have not failed many times, I have found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” I believe God knows of billions and billions of ways something won’t work. God knows there is only one way that will work. It isn’t enough, however, for God to know that. We must come to know it as well. The problem seems to be that people want to reverse the roles. They want to believe their way is the only way that works and God is the author of failure which prevents “our way” from working. It moves from “It’s all about God” to “It’s all God’s fault.” And what do we do with fault and failure? They go the way of the new year’s resolution… they get dropped, pushed aside, ignored, blamed and forgotten. How many times have we ourselves blamed God for a wrong, a failure or worse?

And here we find such a dialogue in Isaiah, chapter 43. In the scope of reality, God is checking off the boxes of what humanity has done. He even reflects on some of the solutions offered to help His people overcome their errors and turn their eyes back to Him. God never failed. We, on the other hand, have failed God. And in turn, we have ourselves and others. We have even failed those we do not know and never met. Our actions and the related consequences have a rippling effect on the environment around us. We do not live in isolation. But, keeping our eyes turned inward blinds us to what is happening around us. Even when we see it, we declare “That has nothing to do with me!” Really? What do we hear God say in verse 26? “Remind Me [again], let us argue the matter together. State your case, so that you may be vindicated.” How many arguments like this have we had with ourselves, others and God? Hear what God has said and is saying even now. “State your case so that you may be vindicated.” Another way of thinking about what this statement says is “Just because I say so, it is!” What a popular phrasing and mentality that has become in our current culture and climate. “It’s true because I said so.” We will argue the point even when we know we are wrong simply because we cannot bear to face the truth. We refuse to repent knowing things will go better when we do.

There is another entity who maintains this line of thinking and wrong action. His name is Satan, the cast out from Heaven- Lucifer. Yep, I heard someone say it: “Oh, that’s not me!” Really? The term “satan” is derived from the legalese “accuser.” We get a good sense of the image from the beginning of the Book of Job. There we will read of Satan walking through the “court” of Heaven as if he is crashing a board meeting or a jury trial. He accuses God of limiting what could happen to Job. What is God accused of? Satan believes that God knows Job is, in fact, weak in his spirit because his life is propped up with good things. Satan believes that if you take all those things away from him, he would curse God and not worship God. Do you hear the banter? It is either “all about God” or it is “all because of God.” We know what happens to Job. Everything but his soul is taken away tragically. He even has three “friends” providing “wise counsel.” Their counsel adds up to nothing more than “curse God because He has let you down.” In the end, Job’s misfortune is transformed back to blessing. Satan is kicked out of court without appeal. But the premise remains a part of human thinking to this day.

Hear what God says in Isaiah in response to this wrong thinking and wrong actions. “I, I AM, I am He who blots our your sins and transgressions and remembers them no more. I do it because it is who I AM!” We can argue the point about what doesn’t work in making our lives better. Even our “legalism” is used by us against us. We say things like “I have tried it your way. It doesn’t work.” The reality remains that we only pretended, never intended and always contended with the Word of God. We acted without thinking fully through what was said, empowered and required. We thought only partially. We acted only partially. We understood only partially. We only view partially. The fear is that if we took it all in and all into consideration, it would be too much for us and we would surely die. We would seek our fault and failure without seeing the Father who acts on His behalf to “save us from ourselves.” It is amazing that God allows us to banter with Him from a point of “can’t win.” He does, though. He lets us speak our mind. He even makes it possible to speak our mind out loud so that we may hear what it is that we are “thinking we say in our head.” Even when we know what the consequence of “living a lie,” and we choose to do so, God is there working for our good. His hope is that we will come to the truth, confess our mess, profess His cleaning ability and get back on track being who we have always been intended to be. What is that? God’s children. God’s people. God’s sheep. God’s lambs. God’s pride and joy.

Mighty ones of God. Today can be that day. Let it be today that we no longer contend with God, offer only “good” intentions and then excuse ourselves because we sell ourselves short. Let it be today that we walk in faith, hope and love “the way, the truth and the life.”

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit brought us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit in order that others be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind so we would know we are Your people and You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.