Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left. Isaiah 30: 21, NKJV
Dear God, we know that You are faithful in guiding us, teach us to be faithful in obeying. For Christ’s sake. Amen
Yesterday was not one of my favorite days, but it ended in victory. Praise God! I had gone to the gymnasium, and on my way back was planning what I would have for breakfast. In the midst of my thoughts, one message came through clear as crystal: “Have a peanut butter sandwich.” I was somewhat taken back at how direct that message was. “Okay, I will have a peanut butter sandwich,” was my mental response.
When I arrived at home I immediately set out to prepare my breakfast, and was about to make my sandwich, when I realized that there was another sandwich option that I preferred. If you guessed that I did not prepare the peanut butter sandwich you guessed right! After having my breakfast, I took my supplements and started doing the dishes. Soon I began to feel “full, too full.” I felt the way I do when I have had too much water all at once. I thought, surely this will go away. But it did not. I just kept feeling more “puffed.” By this time, I began to be concerned. Something was definitely wrong.
The puffed feeling began to give way to a nagging stomach ache. As the morning advanced, the pain intensified. I managed to finish the dishes and went and laid down hoping to feel better. I did not. While all of this was happening, I suddenly remembered what I had been “told” to do: “Have a peanut butter sandwich;” and I began to pray. How grateful I am that Jesus is only a prayer away. In fact, He is closer that that, because before I prayed He began to answer (Isaiah 65: 24).
Soon God had rid my body of all the ingredients of “my sandwich.” Everything else stayed down. The relief was immediate and complete. Before I knew it, I had fallen into a deep sleep, and slept for approximately four hours! That is not the norm for me during the day.
The context surrounding this verse is one that speaks of the rebellion of the children of Israel (we have looked at this chapter before). God had given His people a message, but they had ignored God’s message, and done things their way. They had gone down to Egypt seeking help in preference to the help that God was offering them. They sought human war tactics of horses and chariots to fight their battle, instead of allowing the Lord to fight for them.
As with Israel of old, in times of uncertainty, when we turn to the right and to the left, when we are not sure of which path to take, God has promised to send us “a word…[for us to] walk in it.” Sometimes we believe that this promise is just for the major decisions of life. I have found that in some of the everyday things of life “whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do,” if we are to “do all to the glory of God,” we have to be not only good listeners, but good doers as well. I sure wish I had been. Blessings!