“Stop and be astonished.”

Isaiah 29:9-14

Sin always takes us farther than we meant to go, and yet few Christians who choose to sin take the warning of the ninth verse; “Stop and be astonished.”  I’ve witnessed first hand in my life what will happen when we look and listen to Channel One, the deceptive channel, the channel proclaiming what one deserves.  I have made many bad choices as a young husband, choices that caused great pain in the lives of others and myself.  That station is still broadcasting in my head each and every day, and each and every day I choose to listen or turn to Channel Two and listen to a message on love and life, it’s broadcaster is the Spirit of God.  Are you aware that Channel One sounds like your voice?  Do not take ownership of either message, it projects you deserve, or you have no worth, both are lies.

But many of us who go by the name of Christ are tuned into the deceptive channel, so we are the people of Isaiah’s time.  They developed spiritual hardness, for God had given them a clear plan for life, but they, like us, made a choice and their choice was God’s plan is not enough, it is future and I want it now.  So like so many today that go to church each Sunday and leave with no understanding of what the Spirit has said; these were the people of God that Isaiah is talking to.  Never forget the Spirit of the living God is speaking to you and me through the words of Isaiah.  Those people would not heed God’s warning and they suffered the results of their choices.  These people experienced what so many today are experiencing, empty and meaningless worship.  For it is impossible to worship self and God!

It may be rare for many of us who go by the name of Christ to stop and ponder what God’s opinion 

of our self serving worship is, so “Stop and be astonished.”  “And the Lord said: “Because this people 

draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their 

fear of me is a commandment taught by men, therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with 

this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the 

discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”  (Isaiah 29:13-14 ESV)

If you will only read the Scriptures, God’s message about worship is clear: “The sacrifices of God are 

a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalms 51:17)  Have 

you given thought to these words: “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near 

to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.  Be 

not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven 

and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and 

a fool's voice with many words.”  (Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 ESV)  And the Spirit speaking through the 

apostle Paul gave us this warning: “So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For 

the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in 

the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.”    

(Romans 14:16-18 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice