By Paul Reading Isaiah again last night and I found myself challenged by the words that he spoke about a change that would happen with Gods people.
Isaiah 29:23-24 ESV
23 For when he sees his children,
the work of my hands, in his midst,
they will sanctify my name;
they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob
and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
24 And those who go astray in spirit will come to understanding,
and those who murmur will accept instruction.”
Two things that particularly struck me;
1. The change from people who reject God and go their own way to people who honour Him is remarkable and it fits in so well with what we were looking at on Sunday morning, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name”. The change here for these people is that they gain a profound sense of God’s holiness, they hallow his name, they stand in awe of Him. A remarkable turn around from how they were behaving earlier in the chapter. What an encouragement to know that God is still at work even with people who are as messed up today as they were back then.
2. The change from murmuring complaint to humble understanding and teachablity seems to follow a change of perspective on God. Perhaps tackling complainers in churches head-on isn’t always the wisest way to deal with it, perhaps what is needed is a radical shift in perspective and renewed attitudes towards God himself first.