Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters from you do not fail. Isaiah 58:9-11 NASB
One of the best decisions that we made on our recent trip to New York was to hire a driver. We didn’t have to worry about navigating the crowded city streets not knowing where we were going. We didn’t have to worry about following a map or listening to SIRI read instructions to us. We just settled in and enjoyed the ride while our driver beautifully handled all the traffic, he knew where he was going so we didn’t get lost and he also suggested several sites that we didn’t even know were nearby. He knew the area, he knew how to navigate through the traffic and was even able to suggest a really good place for dinner. He knew the city, he had grown up there and had driven tour buses there and now makes his living driving tourists around. It’s what he does. Now I will admit that it costs quite a bit more than taking the subway, but it was well worth it. If you have ever taken the wrong subway and been lost on subway trains then you know exactly what I mean.
Our scripture passage today starts by telling us of the cost of allowing God to lead and guide us. I encourage you to read the entire chapter of Isaiah 58, but I only pulled these two verses from it. In these verses we are told that if we call out to God, He will answer us. If we seek Him, we will find Him. But as we draw near to God, we must remove the yoke or our bondage to sin. We must stop pointing fingers at others and speaking wickedness. We must give to the hungry and try to help those who are afflicted. Then it tells us if we will do these things that our light will rise up in the midst of darkness and our gloom will lift and instead of gray dawn or fog, it will be like the sunshine of the midday. But once we do all this God will guide us. He will give us contentment and strength.
On life’s journey we can choose to go it all on our own. We can choose to take the cheap route and be unwilling to pay the costs of a life lived with Christ. But let me tell you my friend, what you believe to be too much to pay is a real bargain. You see, that sin that you can’t let go of will drag you down and cost more than you ever intended to pay. It will rob you of all that you have. But when we cry out to God and are willing to give it all over to Him and allow Him to guide us and show us the way, we can have a life of contentment. We can live a life filled with peace and joy. We can rest assured that we are headed in the right direction. We don’t have to worry about anything, we only have to focus on God. We only have to trust in Him to lead and guide us.
Psalm 32:8 tells us that God will instruct us and teach us in the way that we should go with his eye upon us. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us that we should trust in the LORD with all our hearts and not lean on our own understanding. We are told that if we acknowledge Him in all our ways that He will make our paths straight. If we lack wisdom, the Bible tells us in James 1:5 to ask and God will give it generously without reproach.
God has good plans for you (Jeremiah 29:11). He wants to work all things out for your good (Romans 8:28), but you must first call out to Him. Then you must give it all over to Him, the good, the bad, and the ugly. You must be ready to sit back and allow Him to guide you. He will guide you in truth (John 16:13). Study God’s word. Psalm 119:105 tells us that His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Stay in constant communication with Him through continual prayer, thanking Him for all that He gives us (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Trust in Him with all your heart (Proverbs 3:5). He knows what your future holds because He holds your future. It just doesn’t make sense not to follow Him. He will show you the way if you will allow Him to do so.
Have a great day!