Striking but Healing

 Isaiah was given prophecies about the countries that surrounded Israel, in addition to his message to God's people. In Isaiah 19 he delivers God's instructions for Egypt. In theses words we are able to see how God treats countries and individuals. God always acts consistently, so we can count on Him doing things the same way today. God knows that when we sin and get away from His will, He can strike us. (Isaiah 19:22) That will get our attention. Then, when we turn to Him or return to Him, He will respond to us and heal us. This is God's way of handling us, striking and healing. Believe me, it works, or He would not do it.

I wonder how God has struck us in our lives? He may even be striking us now. How things work out depends totally on us. If we respond with confession and trust in Him, He will bring healing in our life. When He heals us, we will be even stronger than before, because we have learned our lesson, and God's power to restore is complete. However, if we ignore God, or if we do the opposite of what He is calling us to do, He will break us. Being struck by God is bad, but being broken by Him is much worse. In fact, the pain can bring us to the end of our rope. When we get there, we have only one way to go for help. If we fail to seek the Lord, then, that could be our last chance. We never know. That is why whenever God strikes us, we need to listen to His warning, respond and be healed before things go from bad to worse. This is God's compassionate love calling us from sin to Himself for our own good.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Isaiah 21-23.