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The Designer’s
Handbook
from sermon series
“Learning from Isaiah”
by
Pastor Dave Strem
Used by
permission
“And God said, ‘Let us
make people in our image, to be like ourselves. They
will be masters over all life—the fish in the sea, the
birds in the sky, and all the livestock, wild animals,
and small animals.’ So God created people in his own
image; God patterned them after himself; male and female
he created them (Genesis 1:26-27).” What does it mean
to be created in God’s image? Whatever it means
specifically, it implies that humans have a certain
general structure, an internal pattern that is
distinctively human. Humans are not born as empty
shells waiting to be molded by political and socials
forces, only. Wherever you go you will see that humans,
despite social and political differences, are basically
the same. Contrary to the teachings of communism,
humans are born with distinctive characteristics
that cannot be altered.
Social surroundings are
important. The Bible is filled with passages that teach
us to build wholesome and decent environments. People
thrive when the righteous are in positions of
authority. And they wither and suffer when the wicked
rule. Certain environments allow humanity to thrive,
while others are deadening to the soul and discourage
human creativity. This is true precisely because humans
have a specific structure. God formed us a certain way,
with wide variation within the specific form, and we
have not changed. If we really believe that God created
humankind then we must acknowledge that He knows all
about us. And if He knows all about us, then He can be
trusted when He guides and directs us.
In Isaiah 55:1-13, God
speaks directly to this issue. His words are powerful
and direct. After we read them together you will see
that there is little doubt about what God is saying,
about what He is claiming. “Is anyone thirsty? Come
and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your
choice of wine and milk—it’s all free! Why spend your
money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay
for food that does you no good? Listen, and I will tell
you where to get food that is good for your soul!
“Come to me with your
ears wide open. Listen, for the life of your soul is at
stake. I am ready to make an everlasting covenant with
you. I will give you all the mercies and unfailing love
that I promised to David. He displayed my power by
being my witness and a leader among the nations. You
also will command the nations, and they will come
running to obey, because I, the Lord your God, the Holy
One of Israel, have made you glorious….”
“My thoughts are
completely different from yours,” says the Lord. “And
my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For
just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my
thoughts higher than your thoughts.
“The rain and snow come
down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water
the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed
for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same
with my word. I send it out, and it always produces
fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will
prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and
peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song,
and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where
once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where
briers grew, myrtles will sprout up. This miracle will
bring great honor to the Lord’s name; it will be an
everlasting sign of his power and love.”
How is your soul
today? Is your soul battered and bruised by the things
that are going around you every day? God wants to
nurture your soul. Is your soul delighted with the
abundance of what He has to offer? That’s God’s desire
for you. But you have to cooperate, you have to do your
part. He assures us if we will do our part, He will do
His. The text uses two terms three different ways. The
terms are “ways” and “thoughts.” He shows the contrast
between the world’s ways and thoughts and His ways and
thoughts.
Look at verse 7, it
says, “Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man
his thoughts.” For many those are old-fashioned words.
When thinking about the word “wicked” we often think of
Cinderella and her stepsisters. The word “evil” leads
us to think of the Wizard of Oz and the wicked witch,
the evil witch. Synonyms will help us understand. In
Proverbs 2:12, its says, “Wisdom will save you from the
ways of the wicked man. From those whose words are
perverse.” Perverted, twisted, and distorted are
synonyms for wicked. It means taking something that is
good, something that God has designed, and twisting it,
turning it, adding a nasty twist to it. As Paul
described in Acts 13, “…you are full of all kinds of
deceit and trickery. Will you ever stop perverting the
right ways of God?” Perverting, twisting, trying to get
the results that God wants you to have, but taking a
shortcut. Living together without marriage is a
perversion of God’s plan. Pornography is a perversion
of sexual satisfaction. Materialism is thinking that
stuff will satisfy you. Instead of the heart possessing
God, and being possessed by Him, we strive to possess
things. The heart moves away from God and becomes
twisted as it attaches itself to objects in the world
that cannot ultimately satisfy.
Evil is also a general
word with a relevant Scriptural synonym. Romans 1:28
talks about the depraved human mind that is filled with
every kind of wickedness and evil. Depraved mind, like
evil, means contaminated, corrupted, decaying. The use
of the word “mind” here signifies that it is an attitude
that schemes to do that which is against God’s ways.
“Wicked” and “evil”
characterize the ways and thoughts of those who give no
consideration to God’s guidance and ways. You can see
it every day. Perversion is everywhere. It seeks to
mold us, influence us. But we have been called to
resist. We are to identify the perverse actions and
depraved attitudes and replace them with godly attitudes
and actions. Simply removing evil from our lives is not
enough. We must attach ourselves to what is good or
else we will be drawn, lured, back to old sins and
dispositions.
Current trends will not
satisfy. Everyday programs on TV, such as “Friends” and
“Will and Grace,” are preaching amorality from morning
until night. They preach amoral ways camouflaged as
cute comedy. Reality shows promote greed, outright
lying, and sexual temptation. If you ask a child about
spiritual warfare, they will probably tell you about
“Buffy” or “Charmed.” These shows pervert our view of
true spiritual warfare. The heroes are cute little
witches or sexy vampire slayers. They battle physically
to save the world from ugly looking monsters. But true
spiritual warfare is a battle for your personal
character and eternal soul.
No wonder there is so
much drug and alcohol use in our country. Perversion
promises satisfaction but leads to pain. Great success,
fame, and wealth will not ultimately satisfy our
hearts. More toys, more lovers, even having a baby will
not fill the void in life that only God can fill. That
is why God gives us instructions. I am not trying to
make you feel guilty about watching such programs. I am
trying to warn you about believing the message that they
carry. They are preaching values and modeling
lifestyles that are becoming the accepted norm, and they
will break your heart. They will devastate your child’s
spiritual life.
Look at Isaiah 55:8 for
a contrast. God’s ways and thoughts are different.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my
ways your ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than
yours and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” God’s
ways and thoughts are described both times as higher.
Higher! What does that mean? It means beyond us, to a
level that we do not quite grasp. It means that His
ways are trustworthy, even if we do not completely
understand them. We can walk by faith, knowing that if
we follow God’s instructions good fruit will grow. “As
the rain and the snow come down from the earth and do
not return without watering the earth, and making it bud
and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and
bread for the eater, so is my word that goes from my
mouth. It will not return empty but will accomplish
what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I have
sent it.”
“Listen, listen to me
and eat what is good and your soul will delight in the
richest fare.” Our souls will thrive if we give them to
God. “The mountains and hills will burst into song
before you and the trees of the field will clap their
hands.” When you live life the way it is intended, God
will do His part and bring harmony, peace, and joy to
your life. That does not mean conflict free. But it
does mean our souls will prosper and experience inner
peace in the midst of turmoil and persecution. When I
was in Guatemala, I saw so many people that had
absolutely nothing but still had God’s peace and joy.
God has a way of doing that, even without microwaves,
televisions, DVD players, or radios.
In-and-of-themselves these things are not wrong. But
they can distract us. Often these things push God out
of our lives.
Does it sound
reasonable that God would create the whole world for us
and not give us guidance for living our lives? God’s
Word is that guidance and it is relevant for our lives.
We are important and significant to God. He cares about
us. Our lives make a difference to Him. He did not
create us and then leave us alone to find our way.
How about your ways?
What are you using, what are you influenced by, what is
the dominating influence in your ways and thoughts? Are
you longing for ways and thoughts that are godly, or are
you consumed and frustrated by perversion, yours and
those around you. Look back at verse 1. God says,
“Come, all you who are thirsty.” He expects you
to look upon the world and say, “It is missing here.
The things I am trying to find to satisfy my heart and
soul in the world are missing.” But too often we do not
listen to our inner spirit’s longing. Instead we say,
“Maybe, if I get more I will be satisfied. Maybe, if I
get somebody else I will be satisfied. Maybe, if I
have something or go someplace else, I will be
satisfied.” God expects you to be thirsty until
you’re in that personal, life-giving, continual
relationship with Him. And when you are seeking Him, He
says, “I will satisfy your soul.” Verse 3, “Give ear
and come to me and hear me that your soul may live.” He
asks in verse 2, “Why do you spend money on things that
do not satisfy? Listen.” Note that it says “listen”
twice. When God says it twice, you better know He means
it. “Eat what is good that your soul may delight in
abundance.” Does your soul delight in abundance? If
not, check your spiritual diet. What are you feeding
it? What you sow in your life, you will reap.
God directs you in
verse 6, “Seek the Lord while He may be found and call
on Him while He is near.” And verse 7 warns, “Let the
wicked forsake His way and the evil man his thoughts and
let him turn to the Lord and He will have mercy on him
for He will freely pardon.” To “forsake” means to let
loose of the world’s opinions, to let loose of what is
contrary to God’s Word and ways. It is your choice. We
can have victory in Christ. He has given us everything
we need for life and holiness. But we have to choose.
To forsake and to turn means to let go of world opinion
and grab hold of God’s instruction; God’s instruction
for marriage, children, business, success, significance,
and satisfaction. Read and study God’s directions for
life. Life will never outgrow His handbook for
life.
To forsake and seek is
to repent. To confess, to call, to express your
waywardness and express your thirst for His ways is to
repent. First John 1:9 says it well, “If we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to
cleanse us from all iniquity.” Call, seek, open God’s
Word, and look to it and see what He has for you.
Philippians 2 gives us
a New Testament parallel. Philippians 2:12: “Therefore
my dear friends, as you have always obeyed, not only in
my presence, but as much more in my absence, continue to
work. Continue to work out your salvation in fear and
trembling.” Note it doesn’t say, “Earn your salvation
with fear and trembling,” but to “work it out.” To work
out your salvation is to let it flow out of your life,
to let your life be characterized by what God is pouring
into your life. You cannot work out what you do
not have! Are you an influence for God or are
you showing how fruitless a Christian can be? How
hypocritical a Christian can be? Are you letting Him
saturate your life? Are you making a spiritual
difference to anyone? “Work out your salvation with
fear and trembling for it is God that works in you.”
God is at work in you, if you let Him. “My Word will
accomplish my desires. I have purposed to make you
holy. I have purposed to make you a testimony to the
nations, to the people around you.”
Philippians 2:14 says,
“Do everything without complaining and arguing.” Now it
gets hard. Can I tell you? I think you can complain to
God, but don’t complain to other people. When you feel
like complaining, complain to Him and listen to His
answer and He’ll say, “I know the struggles, but I am
with you.” Converse with Him. Complain and argue with
God and listen to His answers. He will carry you
through it. You are going to go through it, either with
Him or without Him. His instruction for our soul is
this: “Do everything without complaining or arguing so
that you may become blameless and pure, children of God
without fault in a crooked, perverted, and depraved
generation in which you will shine like the stars of the
universe as you hold onto the word of life.” He made us
and He knows that strife, greed, and contention are bad
for our souls.
The Bible tells you to seek
after Him and trust Him, to lean not on your own
understanding. It requires patience to walk by faith.
God sees down the road and knows which path will be
best. You will learn many things throughout your life.
But if you will allow God’s Word to be the central core
of all that you think and do, then any knowledge you
gain will help you to live a better life. But if
something else becomes your core then you will suffer,
you will cease to work properly. God designed us. His
Word is His handbook for life. Follow His instructions
and your soul will prosper! To top of
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