Isaiah 46

Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary. They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity.....They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles. Isaiah 46:1-2,7

I've been fascinated by Isaiah 46 as of recent days. I'm constantly surrounded by the question, "What images of God are you carrying about?" I've realized time and time again how often we as Christ-followers carrying around images of God that are so far from who He really is. I personally tend to have this view of God as this divine lawyer, looking for a loophole to nail me. I find my prayers are so specific not because I'm praying by faith but because I fear that if I'm not specific then God is going to hand down this awful answer. I figure if I don't clearly outline exactly what I was asking for then I won't get it. My past has ingrained that in me. But that is in no way who God really is. He is not sitting on his throne, scheming up ways to find loopholes in my prayers so that He can make me miserable.

We carry around images of God, too, as though he's Mr. Rogers. As pastor Isaac Anderson put it, "He just wants to be your neighbor." Or may be there is the view of God as a divine score keeper. He's keeping track of all that you say and do. You get points added and deducted according to your conduct and thoughts. Or may be we see God as this mildly interested human-like god who is quite content with the mediocre lives of men. All of these images combined add up to a god, who at the very heart of it all, cannot save us. And never will. Why? Because they are not the true image of God, the Holy One of Israel. Like the people in Isaiah 46, they were crafting these idols of silver and gold. They were worshipping them. Singing to them. Decorating them. And what did the idols do in return? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. See, that's the problem with idols and false images in our lives. They can't save us. They can't help us. They don't hear us when we cry out. They don't respond when our hearts are hurting.

Maybe that's why God doesn't hear us sometimes. We pray and pray and pray to God, hoping he'll step in, but all along we've been harboring unbelief. We've been harboring false images of him, just beneath the surface.

The idols in our lives taunt us. They keep us captive. They overshadow the truth because we have found that we are so comfortable with our idols and false images of God that we don't even realize that is what has happened.

So that's the question: What images of God have you been carrying around that you need to deconstruct? What false images of God have you been carrying about? It's burdensome isn't it? It's burdensome to carry around false images and perceptions of God. But the Holy One also said, "Come to me and I will give you rest....my burden is light." Holding onto and believing the true image of God is the only yoke you will carry on your shoulders that will not keep you captive. Learn from Israel in Isaiah 46. Carrying around false images and idols and crying out to them is no way to live.

The Reasons Why

I'm about to make a move (literally) that is going to take me away from so many things that I'm going to miss dearly. My best friend. My church that I am just wild about. My niece. My family. My job that I love. But underneath it all, I know that this move is orchestrated by God. Of that I have no doubt. I'm going to be working with people that I greatly respect, in an environment that I thrive in. Back on a college campus. I'm anxious to be back in a classroom, taking classes. I'm anxious to be back among college students, ministering to them, challenging them to be better men and women. I'm anxious to go back and make a difference in that community.

One of the things the Lord impressed upon my heart as I began debating about this decision was that this generation of college students and youth are going to witness and be a part of a movement that is unlike anything God has ever done before. I spoke at a high school baccalaureate service back in June and the following quote was in the program:

"Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, there is a generation of young spiritual leaders about to arise who will not eat the food offered to the idols of their generation. They also will be confronted and tested by the conjurers, the sorcerers, and wise men of this age, but will be found to have ten times more wisdom than all of them. The Lord himself will walk with them in the midst of the fire, and they will not be burned. They will stand as a witness and turn many to the worship of the only God of heaven and earth. Every attack against them will only result in greater authority and esteem." ~ Pastor Bill Click

It nearly stopped me in my tracks and that's when I knew I had to go. I believe God is up to something in this generation and I don't want to miss it. But I also know the devil is up to something, too, in this generation. I should not be so deceived into thinking that he will not be working just as hard to make sure the exact opposite happens.

"Don't be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse...addicted to lust, and allergic to God. These are the kind of people who...take up with every new religious fad that calls itself 'truth.' " 2 Timothy 3, MSG

So as hard as it is sometimes to pick up and move yet again, it seems that's the only life I know anymore. Always on the move, always on the go. Excited to be in a new place, but always too afraid to stay for long.

Exiting Gracefully

There is something extremely cathartic about writing. When you actually have the discipline to do it, that is. That's half the battle, actually sitting down to write down whatever it is that comes to mind.

I'm finding my life keeps taking turns, some expected, some unexpected. But somehow I keep managing to put one foot in front of the other. I keep managing to pick up the pieces when my heart gets broken. I keep managing to turn my face to God even when the world around me is telling me to do otherwise.

"There's a trick to the graceful exit. It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage, a relationship is over — and to let go. It means leaving what's over without denying its validity or its past importance in our lives. It involves a sense of future, a belief that every exit line is an entry, that we are moving on, rather than out. It's hard to learn that we don't leave the best parts of ourselves behind, back in the dugout or the office. We own what we learned back there. The experiences and the growth are grafted onto our lives. And when we exit, we can take ourselves along — quite gracefully." Ellen Goodman, columnist