LENT 2011, Day 20

Today marks the halfway mark through the Lenten journey! It feels good to make it this far. Committing to writing every day - without ever skipping - is a discipline. I take the commitment very seriously.

But - interestingly, as is so often true, Isaiah's mood and tone in chapter 64 (the chapter for today) echoes my own oft-felt feelings. Chapter 63 ended with Isaiah basically saying to God, "I don't feel like one of your favorites any more." And he continues that theme in Isaiah 64 - pleading personally and for his nation.

Still - even in his lament for Israel's abysmal behavior and God's subsequent anger, there are nuggets of hope:

Verse 4 proclaims, "From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him." That declaration is followed by one of my two favorite verses in this chapter, "You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways."

Verse 5 is a clear portrayal of God's interaction with his beloved. He cannot ignore or neglect his own. He is faithful. He will act and interact. In this acknowledgment we are assured of his loving care. Feelings cannot be the barometer we use to judge God's presence with us. If we are faithful, He is. In fact, He is faithful even when we are faithless. He cannot do otherwise. It would violate His character.

As I lay in bed this morning - awake when I should have been still sleeping - God brought past lessons to my mind. Lessons on love, faithfulness, gentleness. I need all of those reminders. I was tempted to recite a litany of my shortcomings to God - but He stopped me after about 4 and reminded me that He sees me through the filter of the blood of His Son. I don't deserve His love, but He loves me anyway.

That brings me to my second favorite verse in chapter 64, verse 8: "But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand."

Two choruses come quickly to mind:

Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way.
Thou are the potter. I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
while I am waiting, yielded and still.

and

Spirit of the Living God fall fresh on me
Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me
Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me.

The inaudible prayer I am accustomed to adding to that is "gently Lord." I want to be conformed to His likeness - but I am perfectly aware the journey that direction holds a lot of challenges. I cannot anticipate in advance that I'll be up to the challenge - but I know with absolute confidence that He is. "I will never leave you nor forsake you" means exactly that. My confidence has to be in Him and Him alone!