The Greatness of God’s Guidance

“This is what the LORD says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.’”
Isaiah 48:17

Words -  how often do we dispense them without really considering the impact they can have on others? For example, some parents routinely expel profane words within earshot of attentive children. Youth and adults often advertise unhealthy thoughts, lifestyles, and words in various social media forums (i.e. Facebook and Twitter)  Gossip-filled words are exchanged amongst peers without contemplation of the negative ripple effects that can ensue from manipulative, unfounded, and harmful phrases. Art forms, such as music and movies, promoting destructive words and expressions are audibly, or visually, ingested by people of all ages on a daily basis. All in all, humanity has a tendency to ignore, or downplay, the power and influence of spoken, or written, words. 

I remember well the first time I perceived the weight of words. One day, when I was in elementary school, a teacher encouraged me to participate in a district-wide essay contest dealing with the importance of resisting illegal drug use. Up until this point in my life, I did not view myself as one who possessed any talent in the area of writing so, needless-to-say, I entered the contest with my expectation level low as to how my essay would fair against the rest of the entries. But rather than forego the effort, I poured much energy into my submission, and enjoyed becoming immersed in the research and creativity aspects of the project. Several weeks after the contest deadline had passed I found out that I had been awarded first place for my grade. I was surprised, and overwhelmed, to say the least. My elementary school held a special presentation to commemorate the event, and a plaque bearing my name was placed in the school’s trophy case. But it was not the award, or the momentary recognition, that captivated me about this experience; it was the realization that words have meaning, and can influence others in good ways, or bad. And we, as God’s believers, should employ words with the utmost intentions.

Isaiah 48:17 makes a compelling case for the greatness of divine words, which yield vital guidance from God Himself. This verse, nestled in the middle of a rebuke on Israel by the Lord, highlights the relevancy and spiritual benefits of abiding by God’s Word. In this passage the Lord conveys that He can teach what is best for His believers, provided they are willing to adhere to His direction. In short, the Lord’s instruction is the ultimate antidote to the fallacies and wrongful tendencies of the human condition. God’s inspired text is a means the Lord uses to educate us not only how to live principled and meaningful lives, but also how to live well (by God's standards, not the world's standards). Therefore, mankind should not forsake the Bible or ignore certain parts that are falsely labeled as trivial, irrelevant, or outdated. Left to our own vices, mankind falls and fails. But should we choose to embrace and exercise the edification of God then we can find ourselves on a path of spiritual prosperity and peace.

To put it another way, Isaiah 48:17 portrays a God of greatness, goodness, and grace. It underscores the value of adopting the Lord’s bountiful wisdom. God knows what is  optimal for us, and He knows what is right for us. Humanity desperately needs His holy help, and we need His moral light. In every way imaginable we are hopeless and lost without the Lord’s intervention and instruction. But the fact that God is willing to impart His love and law to us, a wicked and rebellious bunch, testifies to the indescribable preeminence of God. He is ready to show us what is critical for us to apprehend and accomplish. In return, we need to  long for it, and obey it with all that is within us. 

The more I read Scripture the more I am amazed by how much application and aptness God’s Word has for my life, and the lives of my family members. And I now understand that the salvation I received through Christ does not permit me to be satisfied by spiritual sinfulness, slothfulness, or silence. Redemption is not a blessing that warrants idleness; it longs to shine, and it longs to sound. So may my heart be resolute in this one desire: to utilize my days on earth in a way that amplifies my affiliation with Jesus. Of course, this sentiment was recorded, in a way, by David in Psalm 19:14: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” In summary, let us take up God’s message and allow its life-altering words to transform us from selfish individuals to sanctified (set-apart from the world) servants of God.