Today’s Daily Bread ~ Break The Mold

Isaiah 8:11-13 – The LORD has said to me in the strongest terms:  “Do not think like everyone else does.  Do not be afraid that some plan conceived behind closed doors will be the end of you.  Do not fear anything except the LORD Almighty.  He alone is the Holy One.  If you fear Him, you need fear nothing else.

Every now and then in my studies, it seems as though God leads me directly to certain passages in the Bible.  Today, I had one of those moments.  I’m reading Hebrews right now, nowhere near Isaiah, and when I flipped into the Old Testament to check something, I landed right on top of Isaiah 8:11.

Interesting.  I spent nearly half of yesterday worried about what someone else may or may not think of me.  What a waste of time. 

The language in this passage leaves no room for doubt.  I use the New Living Translation.  The NASB (the choice of many scholars) says, “For thus the LORD spoke to me with mighty power and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people.”   The NIV (probably the most used translation) says, “The LORD spoke to me with His strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people.”  Any version you choose to use makes it clear – just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean you can too.  No ifs, ands or buts. 

In today’s tough economy, almost every single one of my friends and family members have watched the lay-off guillotine swing closer and closer to their neck.  Some have made it through one round safely, only to hear of another round looming just around the corner.  But almost all of them have been afraid that some plan conceived behind closed doors would be the end of them.  Someone close to me recently said she wished she’d just get fired, because then she wouldn’t have to worry about it so much anymore.

I have lived a huge chunk of my life in the “waiting-for-the-other-shoe-to-drop” mentality.  And by the way, that is living in direct disobedience to the Lord.  He alone is the Holy One.  If you fear Him, you need fear nothing else.”  Such a radical concept – fearing the Lord.  What would our lives be like if we truly feared the Lord?

Sometimes I look around at society today and think, “We fear everything BUT the Lord (author included).”  We fear getting old, so we shoot botox into our foreheads and microderm our skin off.  We fear gray hair, so we spend hundreds of dollars every few months covering it up.  We fear what our friends and co-workers will think of us, so we don’t gently correct them when we see them going the wrong way…and we don’t share the Good News.  We fear that we won’t fit in, so we rush out to buy the newest pair of jeans with sparklies on the hiney.

And Christians are not exempt…not by a long shot.  Churches have stopped preaching on the wrath of God, and in doing so, have led us into this belief that Jesus and Santa Clause are interchangeable.  So we go about our business, living godless lives that bear no resemblance of the One who created us.  We deliberately sin, and we keep on sinning, because everyone else is doing it and that makes it ok.  We take for granted the unfathomable act of love performed on the cross, and figure we can do what we want as long as we want as long as we ask forgiveness sometime before we die.

In the meantime, we’re taking pills to sleep and doubling up on caffeine to wake up.  We drink to numb our minds, and our cabinets are filled with different kinds of medications designed to make the depression and anxiety go away.  We spend almost every waking minute worrying about something, and look at the world to fix us instead of God to fill us.  Do I sound judgmental?  Don’t worry.  I’m talking about me, about a year ago.  Today’s Scripture is God’s reminder to me….”Do not fall back into the same pit I just pulled you out of.  Don’t even think about going back there.”

If you fear Him, you need fear nothing else.  That means losing your job, making enough money or having enough things.  Jesus said in Matthew 6:31-33, “So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing.  Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things?  Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.”

If you fear God alone, you don’t fear illness, death, or disaster.  You won’t fear the opinions of others.  You won’t fear anyone.  Romans 8:31 – What can we say about such wonderful things as these?  If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to fear You and You alone.  We confess that we’ve put so many things before You, and we ask You to forgive us.  Strengthen us, Lord.  We ask You to bless us with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.  Please make us compassionate and generous.  We invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts, and as He fills us, we pray that He would push everything worldly out of us.  We ask this in the precious name of Your Son, our Savior, Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.