November 19 | Isaiah 31: 1-9

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DAILY READING

Isaiah 31: 1-9

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REFLECTION

Father Knows Best

By Jen Raber

As an inexperienced young driver, my son hit a parked car. Either embarrassed or afraid of getting in trouble, when he returned home, he went directly into the basement. Surprised by the doorbell, I opened the door to find a police officer; he informed me of the situation for the first time. Afterward, waving my hands in the air, flailing with both love and frustration, I said to my son, “Why didn’t you just come to me first?” When Judah, faced with the threat of Assyrian attack, sought help from Egypt, I imagine God, with His mighty hands flailing, crying out, “Why didn’t you just come to me first?”

In his book Counterfeit Gods, Timothy Keller writes: an idol is “anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, and anything that you seek to give you what only God can give.” This definition reiterates what Jesus tells us: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matt 22: 37-38)

Idolatry starts from within. It starts with believing the lie that we are in control; that we know how to fulfill our needs better than our all-knowing Father. Like children fighting bedtime, we rebel against the Father who knows what’s best for us. Instead of accepting our need for complete dependence on God, we give into the temptations of trying to be our own god. And God admonishes us for it: “Woe to those who…do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord” (v. 1).

And yet, God calls us back to Him: “Return, you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted against.” (v. 6) With both love and frustration, he pleads, Come to Me first! While our hearts may not always be absorbed with God, He is absorbed with us. He knows our hearts. He knows He can bring us back from the idols our “sinful hands have made.” (v. 7) Our Father in heaven, through his sacrificial suffering love for us, gave us the ultimate image to seek—His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ! Paul writes: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1: 15). It is the only image we need to fully absorb.

What absorbs your heart and imagination? Is it pride, worry, fear, control? We must be diligent in discerning the contents of our hearts, souls, and minds. We are commanded to exclusively worship our one true God. And when we do, our Father promises He will fight for us like “a great lion over its prey,” (v. 4) protect us “like birds hovering overhead,” (v. 5) and with a “sword, not of mortals,” (v. 8) He will devour the very idols that are keeping us from Him.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you for being my watchful parent, calling me back to you. Help me to wring out all the things in my heart that are not from You. I often let worry, fear, and impatience trick me into thinking that I can fix things myself. I often seek approval and love from other sources than You. Absorb into my heart, my soul, and my mind so that I seek You alone. Help me to live a life that honors your gracious and compassionate love for me so that I can love others the same way. Thank You for knowing best. In Your name, In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JEN RABER

I am so grateful for the loving and welcoming community at UALC. My husband and I, along with our three (now adult) children began attending Lytham Road services around 2009. And before that, well, I’ve just loved the Bible for about as long as I can remember. I am so thrilled to be a part of the Daily Devotional Writing Team.