Devotions

If you want direction, if you think you’re ready to do what he asks, then let me ask you an important question. Are you ready for an unsettling word, a mission of hardship and rejection, a life of faith with no guaranteed comforts except those of the Holy Spirit?

That is exactly what happened to Isaiah! The prophet volunteered, “Send me, Lord!”, and God sent him on a hard, difficult mission.

“And he said...’Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed’” (Isaiah 6:9-10, NKJV).

The word Isaiah heard was not flattering. On the contrary, it would make him hated, unpopular. The Lord told him, “Go, harden those who refuse to hear me speak. Close their eyes and ears; finish the hardening of their hearts!”

If you want to know God’s voice, you must be willing to hear everything he says. God will never say, “Go!” until he first asks, “Who will go?” He comes to you, asking, “Are you willing to do anything I tell you and do it my way? Are you willing to lay down your life?”

When I prayed for direction years ago, the Lord told me clearly, “Go back to New York.” That was a most uncomfortable word for me. I had been ready to retire. I had planned to write books and preach at selected places. I thought, “Lord, I’ve already spent my best years there. Give me a break!”

Yes, we want to hear the voice of God, but we want to hear it comfortably. We don’t want it to shake us. However, why should God give us his voice of direction if he is not sure we will obey him?

Abraham learned to hear God’s voice by first obeying what he heard, at the time he heard it. God’s word to him was to sacrifice his son, Isaac (see Genesis 22:2). Abraham acted on that word and his obedience became a sweet-smelling aroma that touched the whole world: “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice” (Genesis 22:18).

Peter warns us believers living in the last days that Satan will come to them with a loud voice, trying to bring fear. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8, NKJV).

Here is my point: If Satan is making his voice known in these last days, showing his power to a world full of lost people, how much more important is it for God’s people to know their heavenly father’s voice? Do you think the Lord would sit by as Satan roars at the world and yet remain silent? Never! Isaiah said, “The Lord will cause his glorious voice to be heard” (Isaiah 30:30).

Since the time of Adam and Eve, God has been speaking to man. “And they heard the sound of the Lord God” (Genesis 3:8). Adam said, “I heard your voice in the garden” (Genesis 3:10).

From Genesis through to the end of the New Testament, God made his voice known to his people. In the books of the prophets, we see the phrase “And God said . . .” repeated time after time. Through prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah and Joel, God’s voice was known and understood.

Jesus confirmed this in the New Testament, using the example of the good shepherd. “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice” (John 10:3-4).

Adam hid from God’s voice because of the guilt and shame of his sin. That is exactly where many of God’s people are today, hiding and afraid to hear God speak! If you want to hear God’s voice, you must be ready to have your soul purged and cleansed. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Is your God
To deliver and strengthen you
As he did your fathers—
To help you,
Uphold you,
Keep you,
Fear not: be not dismayed.
They who do know him as their God
Shall do exploits
And become strong.
He will still your enemies and avengers.
He will make his strength perfect
In your weakness,
For in his hand is all power and might
To do for you exceedingly above all
You could ask or think.
To you he speaks,
“I am with you;
I am your God;
I will help you.”

Here are some verses for you to dwell on as you consider the nature of your heavenly Father. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10, NKJV).

“You drew near on the day I called on you, and said, ‘Do not fear!’ O Lord, you have pleaded the case for my soul; you have redeemed my life” (Lamentations 3:57-58).

“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses” (Psalm 107:6).

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

“And he said, ‘The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer’” (2 Samuel 22:2).

“O Lord, you have pleaded the case for my soul; you have redeemed my life” (Lamentations 3:58).

“And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen!” (2 Timothy 4:18).

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17).

”Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, he is the one who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

King David sits across from the prophet, awash in shame. He is afraid, stunned at Nathan’s rebuke from God who has laid bare his adultery, deceit and murder. His heart races because his life, at its zenith just a few minutes ago, is now in freefall.

Samson awakes from a nap in the lap of a woman. He chuckles at Delilah’s words “The Philistines are here!” until he realizes that his fabled strength has been shorn away. His life and twenty-year rule as judge of Israel have just collapsed.

The stories of these two men bring us to the altar. Let us consider how they fell so far and how God redeemed their failures.

David knew he was flawed; we see him in the psalms continuously acknowledging his frailty. He safeguarded his intimacy with God with prayers, songs, writings and worship. David also anchored himself through friendships that provided strength, perspective and accountability. They kept David outside of his own head, and they saved his life more than once. David was a home builder. When Jerusalem was captured, he right away built a home for his family. These disciplines served him well in the years following his fall.

Samson, too, enjoyed God’s blessing, but he was more of a loner. He focused on his work, enemies and conquests. The account of his life in Judges 13-16 doesn’t reveal any healthy friendships. He was unprotected and utterly reliant upon his own judgment and strength. Samson was a roamer not a home builder. He could usually be found behind enemy lines or roaming hostile neighborhoods. When the Philistines came, he couldn’t even cry for help because no one knew where he was.

David ruled for forty years; the Messiah would come from his lineage. Samson died in his prime, blind and in captivity; but he found his faith again before his death (see Judges 16:28). He is named in Hebrews as an example of those who “through faith…were made strong out of weakness” (Hebrews 11:32-34, ESV). Both David and Samson show us that God’s mercy does its best work when there is no hope. In turn, God calls us to move forward righteously, humbly and accountable.  We are to let him do his full redemptive work in us so that we may finish strong.

“I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like a mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you” (Isaiah 44:22).

According to a study jointly conducted by the World Health Organization and Harvard Medical School, and based on more than 60,000 face-to-face interviews worldwide, the richest country — the United States — has the saddest people and is regarded as one of the unhappiest places on earth.

The happiest people on the planet? Nigerians, and they have one of the lowest standards of living. I don’t believe Nigerians have the corner on the market, though. Believers do.

In Matthew 5, Jesus gives us his prescription for how to have happiness. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3-10, ESV).

This is not what Jesus is saying in the Sermon on the Mount: Live like this and you will become a Christian. That’s impossible. What he is saying is this: Because you are a Christian, you can live like this and experience happiness.

Happiness is found in character not in possessions. Every one of these Beatitudes is something internal, not external; something you are, not something you have.

God would never ask you to do or be something that is not possible. God never makes his Word, his promises or his challenges unattainable. God never directs us into dead-ends, but he always leaves a gap of dependency. You can’t practice the beatitudes without God. Which means you can’t be happy without God.

These beatitudes are not natural for us. We need God to instill them into us and direct us. We look to God to help us, and he will. You want to be happy? Jesus shows us the way. It may take a little effort to get there, but it’s doable with Jesus beside us, helping us. The committed are willing to break out of their religious thinking and embrace Kingdom thinking. That brings us true and ultimate happiness.

_{After pastoring an inner-city congregation in Detroit for thirty years, Pastor Tim served at Brooklyn Tabernacle in NYC for five years and pastored in Lafayette, Louisiana, for five years. He became Senior Pastor of Times Square Church in May of 2020.}