Paying Attention To God's Commands

Isaiah 48:17-18
This is what the LORD says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
"I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea."

I love this passage, because it clearly deals with so many of my own struggles. I am always so tempted to stop after verse 17, and praise God for teaching and directing me, as that is most definitely what I need. But, being that I understand that we must look at these things in context, I am forced to go on to verse 18, and I find, unfortunately, that this passage matches my life more than I would like to admit.

It is such comfort and relief to know that God is teaching us what is best for us and that He directing us in the way we should go, isn’t it? I don’t know how many times I find myself at the foot of His throne asking, "Where do I need to go, again? And, what do I need to do?" I must seek Him daily, if not hourly, for direction, as I am easily prone to wander-lust, and getting distracted. Not to mention the fact that I haven’t a clue where we’re headed in this life - I’m lucky to make it through a day, so I don’t try to think about years down the road - cramps my brain, and really, chances are I’d get it wrong anyway. So, as you can see, I cling to the promise God gives to us in verse 17.

However, I must also heed the warning given in verse 18 to the Israelites. Unfortunately, I am more like them than I would like to admit (see above paragraph). The part that always gets me is "If only." Yeah, "if only" is a phrase that comes to mind often when I think of my obedience record. I believe this verse is just as important in my life as the previous one, if not more. It reminds me that when I seek God, I should actually pay attention. How many times have we sought God, heard His answer, and the decided to forge our own path? I can just hear God shouting, "NO! Wrong way, Andrea - I told you to go the other way!" And so He says to me, "If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea."

See, verse 18 presents us with a promise even deeper and more precious than that in verse 17. God has promised us in this verse that if we listen to His teaching, seek His guidance, and do what He commands of us (which He has also promised He with enable us to do), then we will have peace like a river - flowing and fresh, constantly renewing itself; and we will have righteousness like the waves of the sea - powerful, and cleansing, destroying everything that is not rooted in the foundation of God. Isn’t that amazing? That is what I desire. How about you? And all it requires is the simple choice on our part to pay attention to His commands, and then to draw on His strength to follow them through and obey.