Mar. 14 - Tuesday
Isaiah 1:10,16-20Readings
After a dramatic call to repentance, the prophet Isaiah offers extremely practical advice: Learn to do good. Seek justice. Correct oppression. Be willing and obedient. Don’t refuse and rebel.
Learn to do good. If I have betrayed someone’s confidence, asking forgiveness is only the beginning. Re-establishing a relationship of mutual trust will require transparency, humble service, and many small acts of kindness on my part. Similarly, it takes time to replace patterns of self-indulgence with habits of compassion and justice.
If I’m in the habit of gossiping, perhaps the best I can do at first is to bite my tongue instead of adding to the faulty data collected by former fellow gossipers. Perhaps I can offer a silent prayer for them, and for their victim. Next time, my previous self-control may embolden me to move away from the group, rehearsing a word of correction, or thinking of something positive about the person who is being maligned. And then, with a bit more practice and a few positive experiences stored in my memory, I will be able to speak what I have rehearsed.
Remember that sailing ships that have gone off course may not be able to reverse direction all at once. Every small course correction brings them closer to their desired destination. In the same way, every small correction we make is pleasing to our Father, who not only corrects us for rejecting his discipline but also promises salvation to those who order their way aright (Psalm 50:17,23). God promises that with every temptation he will provide a way of escape, so that we can endure and ultimately overcome it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
This promise of God is very personal: “I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8). Empowered by the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, we can know true transformation if we persevere step by step. And the best part is we won’t be alone: God will not abandon us before that work of transformation is accomplished. Our Father is very patient as long as we are willing to be instructed. So let’s not be harder on ourselves than he is!
“Father, I am aware of my sinfulness, but I really want to do what is right. Turn your eyes upon me, Father, and show me the next step.”
posted by Thomas Cagurangan @ 8:42 PM
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