Isaiah and the truth

Thursday afternoon means Cafe Modial, Isaiah and Nick Bale. Mondial was suspiciously busy today, i guess coffee tastes better when there's work to be done. We were in Isaiah 8, and in the corner of the busy cafe, i read these words, quite loudly:

'For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: "Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.'

It was good to read that, good to hear it. On tuesday i rode through London on the underground, about rushhour time. Lots of young and high earning people pouring out of their jobs and homeward. And really for the first time since graduating i wondered whether i was doing the right thing. Whether i shouldn't instead just persue more money, better clothes, nicer stuff and be done with it. This was shaken off quickly enough, but studying this really helped.

Standing firm in faith, trusting in what God has for you was hard for the faithful remnant in Isaiah 8. All around them people were fearing the war, and worshipping the world. And really nothing's changed in 28 centuries since. It's hard to believe and trust when all around you aren't. But what of those who ignore the sanctuary of Christ? Who stumble over the stumbling stone? They shall be snared and taken. And for those who trust, and build and shelter in the rock? They shall find peace and life. They shall prosper for eternity, in a real way, not in a nice clothes and nifty haircut way.

We need to believe this. And not waste our lives.