Ask God

September 17-18

Ask God

For without consulting me, you have gone down to Egypt for help. You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection. You have tried to hide in his shade. Isaiah 30:2

A recent study by eligibility dot com found 89 percent of patients nationwide Google their health symptoms before going to their doctor. This reminds me of a quote written by Joyce Meyer, it says ‘When you’ve got a problem: don’t go to the phone, go to the throne.’

The prophet Isaiah criticizes God’s people for the way in which they made their plans. They failed to consult God (30:1–2). As a result, they had gone off in the wrong direction. They had gone off to Egypt without so much as asking God. The trouble is, they didn’t really want to know God’s plans. Read Isaiah 29:13, it says ‘And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’ Their worship is a mere formality and prayer (communication) with the Father was on the back burner.

What power there is in knowing we can come before God and share our deepest concerns with Him. Such is the God we have and the love He has for us. In both the Old and New Testaments, communication with God was central to the relationship He shared with His people.

Jesus says these words were not written simply for the people of Isaiah’s day. He says to the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, ‘You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules”’ (Matthew 15:7–9).

The message remains true for us today. Sometimes in my own life I have messed up by not consulting God and charging ahead with my own plans. Good news is that we are not left there. We are invited to the throne of God daily. Will you talk to the Father today?