Text: Isaiah 30:1-33, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Romans 8:14
Driving at night in Colorado can be a hazardous adventure. Deer, antelope, and even mountain lions have been known to scurry onto the road at the most inconvenient times. You know that terrifying moment when you lock eyes with the poor creature over your steering wheel and just pray they will move? If only the animal would keep moving forward—then they’d be safe. But it seems that nine times out of ten, they have the worst instincts and either freeze or run back into traffic.
Sometime we have a similar response to danger.
It’s easy to become immobilized by fear or anxiety in the midst of a big decision or overwhelming circumstances. The stress of a crisis can send us to running back to old, unhealthy habits and vices. In those moments of panic, I can all too easily forget that my God is bigger than all the worries of this world—that I can trust Him to lead me.
The prophet Isaiah rebuked the people of Judah for turning to their own devices of self-saving. In Isaiah’s time, God’s people in Judah were terrified of Assyrian armies amassing on their border. They sensed a very imminent danger. Instead of trusting in God and seeking His power and plan, Judah turned back to Egypt for safety in an alliance.
Let’s pause here, just for moment…
They turned back to the very Egypt that had previously enslaved them?
These descendants of Abraham and David had inherited great promises and seen great wonders of the Lord’s blessing and salvation. Yet in crisis they turned to what they could see and remember, rather than seeking God’s merciful path forward.
Why is it so easy to look for help everywhere but the feet of Jesus? Perhaps because we are prone to self-focus. Theologians such as St. Augustine of Hippo, Martin Luther, and Karl Barth all described our sin nature as incurvatus in se; Latin for “curved inward on oneself.” Because we are imperfect people, we tend to focus inward instead of outward, if we’re not relying on the Spirit to lead us.
When Judah trembled with fear at a crossroads, the people turned inward and backward instead of upward and forward. They turned inward by serving pagan gods of the culture around them and turned backward toward the familiar power of Egypt. But their faithful God longed for them to turn upward toward His mercy, and forward on the path He made for them.
When we are fearful about the circumstances in our lives, it’s easy to turn toward our generations’ idols of success and security, or backward to old habits of self-reliance like control, apathy, or anxiety. But the Lord longs to bring our focus upward and forward just as He did with Judah.
It’s convicting to think of the ways we fall short, but there is good news: we love a God of incomprehensible mercy. He relentlessly called—and calls—His people back to Him. The Holy Spirit guides us in the way to go: the way of Jesus, our Savior.
Kaitie Stoddard is a professional counselor who recently relocated from Chicago to Colorado with her husband. She has her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and is passionate about helping couples and families find healing in their relationships. On any given weekend you’re likely to find Katie snowboarding in the Rocky Mountains, checking out new restaurants with friends, or catching up on her favorite Netflix and podcast series.
This is so good for this week. I’ve had such overwhelming circumstances with family sickness, a nursing test tomorrow and a friends wedding I must write a speech for on Saturday. I’m praying that God will see me through. I’ve been relying on my own strength instead of His.
I LOVE Isaiah 30:23: “Then He will send rain for your seed that you have sown in the ground, and the food, the produce of the ground, will be rich and plentiful.”
United Pursuit said it this way in their song, “Seasons Change:” “Lord you’ve been faithful to plant the seeds, and you will be faithful to always send your rain.”
– Yes. yes. yes. This too helps me focus less on what I feel like I have to do… all that pressure I put on myself to make things happen… and shift my focus to Him, and trusting Him with everything. And when I’m not worried or focused on those things, there’s so many other opportunities that I am able to see that I wouldn’t otherwise! So good!
Upward and forward, not inward and backward… I’ll be chewing on this for awhile… thank you!
In the last 9 months, my husband and I left the church that we had been at for 6 years (since graduating college) which also meant leaving our jobs at the Christian school that was connected to the church. There were very unbiblical things happening, and some of our closest friends are now leaving and getting jobs out of state. We decided to stay because there is a needy inner-city near by. Nothing has gone according to plan. Our jobs are difficult and one is support-based ministry work and it has been incredibly hard to find supporters in this impoverished city. We don’t have money for a house which we feel is needed as we pursue foster care and hosting other families for the ministry we’re involved in. My family is going through a small crisis a state over, so part of me just wants to give up so we can move and go help them and enjoy the support of family. Almost every prayer I’ve prayed in the last month seems to be answered, but then before the solution comes fully to fruition everything unravels even more than before. If I’m honest, it seems like God has been listening to my prayers just enough to hold out what seems like an answer, just to take it away…and I’m so tired. So weary of waiting and not having income or a home or family. Can you please pray for our little family in this struggle?
Saying a prayer for you and your husband for peace and clarity. Maybe it’s not that going to your family is giving up, but rather God calling you to help with a new project? I pray that you’re both able to the meaning in all of this hardship.
Allie, as I read this, all I could say was “wow”. Absolutely praying for you in this time of weariness and struggle. I am so glad, though, to know that we have a faithful God who will carry us through these times and provide for us in ways we could only dream of. Asking Him to provide, grant peace over your family situation, and to strengthen your marriage in this time of trial. So, so grateful for you.
– Stormye
Praying for you, sister. Although are sitcuations are different, my husband and I find ourselves in a similar circumstance- weary, alone, and feeling forgotten by our father. Joining you in prayer for him to reveal clearly the steps for you to take, that he will give you the strength you need to pursue your calling.
Our*
Praying. I wish I could offer more than just prayers, but I know God is working. I pray today especially you see him in something around you. It will be a gift of love from Jesus to your heart Allie! ❤️
The silence of God can be deafening at times. My heart goes out to you and prayers are lifted for sustaining grace and glimpses of God’s direction and purpose. As you can tell, I’m behind and catching up on reading today. I can only say from experience that when God seems silent His plan comes together in ways my mind cannot and could not imagine. He is always bigger than what my mind can conceive. Press in. Praying that He will amaze you very soon and for protection over your hearts and minds as you walk in obedience to Him.
Praying for blessings in your faithfulness
Recently, I’ve been struggling to decide about my vocation, where I’m gonna work after I graduate, where I want to live…this read this on the day when my worries and uncertainty about my future were really bad. I think God really spoke to me through this reading as there are words : “This is the way, walk in it”. It is amazing how God wants to make sure that I know I am safe when I am with Him and that he will show me His ways in my life. Thank you for this study !
Thank you for this study today!! Sometimes I get so focused on the study and the note taking I fail to make time for prayer and repentance–When I need to lean into God’s plans and stop worrying and scheming on my own. Today’s lesson reminded me of the book by CS Lewis called The Great Divorce. The people on the bus chose to go back to “Greytown” ( Hell) rather than step out into the light (Heaven). Such a great book!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Divorce
Thank you so much for this post. I am currently in a long distance relationship and I find myself struggling everyday with control issues. When I get scared about the future I turn on all my self-defense mechanisms, but it never helps. It is hard for me to continue to trust that God is in control, but it is the only way I find true peace. What a beautiful reminder of his unending love and devotion for us.
I am so guilty of ‘going back to Egypt’ in my life. What a powerful reminder for me to turn upward to Him.