We take a break from national leaders and their policies, wicked or otherwise, to return to us, regular believers. And we do so on a sweet note, a whole raft of promises, found in the fifty-first chapter of Isaiah. This is God (not me) now, speaking to you and me, and because He is God, He starts with an instruction. “Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.”
I hope we are listening, so that we do not miss the sweetness that follows. Please apply that last statement to all of life. To whose voice do you listen? It occurs to me that there is an even more fundamental question. Do you follow after righteousness? Do I seek the Lord?
When I come to a crossroad and am confused, from where do I seek guidance? Google? My uncle? If I cannot categorically answer that question with God, the sweetness of God’s promises may not come. God Himself tells us to seek Him while He may be found. Seeking God is a great way to follow after righteousness, especially when you remember that Jesus is the Righteousness of God. How often do we follow Jesus?
Total Obedience Is Following After Righteousness
The other day, I was describing how obeying God in a particular situation resulted in insults and real pain. A year or two later, God used that obedience as a definite blessing in my family. The one with whom I was having the conversation said, “If that were me, I would never have done that.” Well, I did what God said, and that brought me several sweet rewards.
When we follow after righteousness through total obedience, the rewards are many. That is why I hope you are one of the believers that God is addressing himself to. You listen to the Lord and seek Him. God also wants us to “look to the Rock from which we were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.” We are still considering the verse with which we opened the post.
Are you a piece of the Rock of Ages, or is your rock a different rock? You may not know it, but there are many different rocks, but our Rock is not like those other rocks. Moses, towards the end of his leadership of the children of God, said: “For their rock is not like our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.”
Our Rock Is Not Like Their Rock
Our Rock, the one we follow, or I should say the One who follows us in the wilderness of life, is the Rock of Ages. He gave the children of Israel water, shade, protection, and provisions. He is the foundation on which we build so that our house stands even in the storm. For the disobedient believer who refuses to follow after righteousness, our Rock becomes a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. Even at that, if you believe, this rock will not put you to shame.
On the other hand, their rock, which is very different from the Rock of us who follow after righteousness, is a rock that kills the word of God. You remember that when the word fell on their rock, the word died. Their rock cannot save; it caused Paul’s ship to run aground. With their rock, there is no progress, only stagnation.
We could go on and on, but it should be clear now that our Rock is far superior to all other rocks. But God makes one more point: we must never become so arrogant that we forget we are dust. So, God charges us to remember the hole of the pit from which He dug us. Ouch! This next part used to apply only to ladies, but men have joined the ranks.
You apply several layers of setting powder to your face after one or two layers of foundation. We paint many layers and colors of eye shadow until we no longer recognize ourselves. As for mascara? You compete with a horse’s tail. God says to remember that you are dust. That makes it easy to let go of all that painting and simply follow after righteousness.
Follow after Righteousness For Sweet Results
By now, you know you have to obey God to enjoy His promises. No doubt, you cannot wait to get to the sweet parts; we get right to them in the next few verses. In Isaiah 51. God lists what He would do for the one who follows after righteousness, and it is tempting to copy and paste; there are so many and so sweet.
However, we focus on verses 3 and 7. “For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places. God will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in it; thanksgiving and the voice of melody. Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose hearts is My law. (We who follow after righteousness).
Do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their insults. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will be forever, and My salvation from generation to generation.” I love that. You already know what will become of your enemies once you obey God.
Maranatha!
