Disaster or Success?

Woe to the rebellious children, declares the LORD, who execute a plan, but not Mine, and make alliance, but not of My Spirit, in order to add sin to sin, who proceed down to Egypt without consulting Me, to take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt! Isaiah 30:1,2

This is God’s list of offenses pertaining to His own children. These two verses can be summed up in five words…..YOU HAVE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED ME!” How often am I guilty of living my Christian life without seeking His face? I too put plans into motion that are not His plans. I make alliances with someone other than God. I take step upon step without consulting Him. I seek shelter and safety in sources other than God. And then when life falls apart I ask God, “Where were You?” I have failed to desire His involvement in my life and then accused Him of abandoning me when the consequences of my own choices came about.

But these verses can become an instruction manual for success rather than a recipe for disaster. It starts with setting my own agendas aside and seeking what it is God wants to accomplish. God knows the plans He has for me ~ to prosper and do me good. THAT’S the plan I ought to be cooperating with. Seeking His plan and then acting on the revelation is much better than coming up with my own plan and desiring God to rubber stamp it with His approval.

Then I must make sure my alliance is with Him. That means connecting with God to further His work. It is the picture I get when two nations join forces to fight a common enemy. My union with God allows me fellowship and friendship of the deepest kind. Also, God desires that I consult Him. God should be the first and primary One from whom I seek advice and counsel. God has stored up wisdom for me. Why should I go after the counterfeits when the genuine is available? He longs for me to ask Him.

Lastly, I need to make sure my place of refuge, safety, and shelter is in Him. Oh, if God’s children would just realize the security found in Him! The bottom line is that God is inviting each of us to carry out His plan, become His ally, consult Him, and seek safety and shelter in Him. It is an invitation that is pregnant with possibilities.

Father, You are so extravagant with Your invitations. May Your desires become my mantras. Amen.