“Press pause in life”
“The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed,” Isaiah 50:4.
This verse is filled with strong, applicable words for our daily lives if we look for them. Notice the words, ‘to know,’ ‘wakens,’ and ‘listens,’ throughout the verse. If we think about it, these words are the backdrop to what we desire or search for in different circumstances. We want to know what to do, we want to be aware of God’s plan, and we want to hear from Him. Our hearts lead us to cry out to Him for direction, yet so often, we say, “I just don’t know what He wants me to do,” or “I just can’t hear Him!”
As this verse lingered in my mind this week, I began to consider my family’s weekly routine, church activities, sports, school, friends, Bible studies. Life is filled with opportunity, adventure and fun, with many activities being good ones, but are we teaching our children, and reminding ourselves, to linger in the instruction of Isaiah 50, verse 4….
God has given us His Word to instruct and guide us. To know His Word is to fill our hearts with the confidence of who He is. To focus on the promises of His Word is what sustains us in doubtful times and beginning our day with God’s Word gives a strong depiction of our priorities in life. Taking time to allow Him to speak through His Word before the chaos of our day builds a cornerstone for our relationship with Him.
As our lives pull us in a dozen directions, do we press pause and remember to position our ear to listen to instruction? It will be much harder to know, awaken and listen if we never know His Word, sit with Him and wait for the instruction….
Attending church, cheering on teammates, chasing dreams, and living life are great things we get to experience in this life, but we truly miss God’s instruction when we never stop to sit at His feet, incline our ear to His voice, and linger in His presence. May we teach our children to be still before their day begins, encourage others to start their day with Him, and remind ourselves of Isaiah 50, verse 4 every morning.
