As I continue my journey struggle through Isaiah, this morning’s reading brought to mind the question of faith, and how the Israelites had such a hard time doing what God told them to do.
And then, Ringo Starr’s song, “It Don’t Come Easy” started playing in my head.
Ringo completed the song in 1970, around the time when the Beatles were headed for disbandment. He wrote the song, originally titled “You Gotta Pay Your Dues,” when he was trying to establish his identity as something other than a “downtrodden drummer.”
Back to Isaiah. Isaiah prophesied to Judah, warning them over and over that, in order to maintain their identity as God’s Chosen People, they absolutely had to abandon their sinful ways and have faith in God. And it didn’t come easy.
After reading Isaiah, my devotional reading from Seedbed’s Wakeup Call was all about faith. Coincidence? I think not.
To summarize today’s devotional, subtitled “…Nine Rules of the Road with God,” J.D. Walt confirms what the Isaiah knew–that faith isn’t a smooth paved road. In fact, often, faith is a downright hard, unpaved road with multiple twists and turns.
Here are J.D.’s observations:
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Faith makes life better, not easier. Stop expecting the life of faith to make life easier.
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Faith calls for life-support dependence on Word and Spirit.
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Faith is not an individual competition. It is a team sport. It requires a few others in close fellowship.
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Faith means loosening your grip on yourself and your agenda and your aspirations and dreams so you might tighten your hold on Jesus and His kingdom.
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Faith means abandoning yourself to Jesus Christ. Jesus is not a part of your life. He’s the whole of your life….
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Faith means struggling mightily at times….
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Faith is not a weeks and months sprint, but a years and decades marathon.
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Faith means the fulfillment of all your deepest hopes and longings—only differently than you ever imagined.
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Faith means hand to the plow and not looking back. “Forget the former things. Do not dwell on the past. Behold, I am doing a new thing . . .”
Isaiah knew it. Ringo knows it. J.D. Walt knows it. Faith ain’t easy, but, praise the Lord, the rewards are immeasurable!
“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith,
we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord
has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us
into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand,
and we confidently and joyfully look forward
to sharing God’s glory.”
(Romans 5:1-2, New Living Translation)
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