Isaiah 30:15 “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall by your strength.  But you refused.”

So it continues on and on.  It is astounding to me that God continued to offer guidance and redemption to the Israelites over and over.  Sometimes they would come and other times they refused.  Throughout history He has saved his beloved people and yet they continue to turn back to their own ways.  In this passage of Isaiah, the people are rebelling against the word of the Lord; they are actively seeking an alliance with human forces without listening or seeking the guidance of the Almighty.  I do not condemn the Israelites because I am no different than they are.  I come and pray and sit with the Lord each day and I treasure that time beyond words.  Yet, how often is it that by the time my morning coffee is done I have moved into an agenda all my own.  There are times I feel the tap of the Spirit on my heart and I listen and obey but there are still times I refuse.  Just as the Israelites refused so long ago, I choose battle instead of returning and resting in the Lord to be saved.  The good news is this: it continues on through the redemption and grace of God.

Lord,

Please forgive my refusals.  Forgive my hard heart and hard head.  Please remove the obstacles I have placed in the way and help me find my way back, returning to you; resting in you.  I call on your unending grace and mercy today.  Amen.