Isaiah 55:8-9 – Pursuing Prayer

A few years ago, I got really ambitious and decided I would take up crocheting. My grandmother taught me the basics many years ago, and I thought I would be able to pick it back up and make delightful scarves and mittens and maybe even afghans… Except, when I started a scarf, I ended up with a nice start attached to a horribly snarled up ball of yarn. No problem. I would simply work at the snarl until it melted away, and continue with my scarf. Except it didn’t melt away. I was able to “move” the snarl a foot or so down from where it was, but I couldn’t work it all the way out.

I struggled with that snarl far longer than I should have, and eventually gave up the project and moved on to making candles (another story for another time). But I learned a painful lesson. I would love to say that I prayed about the snarl and God unraveled it for me, but that didn’t happen. I prayed– yes; but God allowed me to continue in my stubbornness and self-confidence to do battle with a few yards of green yarn for days, when I could have been doing more productive things.

I have a great need to try to “fix” things– I think most of us do at some level. We live in a broken world, and we know that there are things that are “snarled” all around us–relationships, situations, circumstances–that need fixing. And God has given us opportunities to do good works that can make the world around us better. But it is not our job to “fix” the brokenness in the world. Only God can really “fix” it–even though He may give us work to do along the way.

And that brings me back to prayer. No, God didn’t “fix” the snarl in my yarn. And He didn’t “fix” my stubborn attitude or my willingness to finish the project another way or ask for help from someone else. God isn’t interested in making our lives (or our projects) easier for us by removing our problems. And God isn’t impressed by our stubborn efforts to “fix” the situations in our lives. God’s ways are not our ways (see Isaiah 55:8-9; and check out https://blackaby.org/gods-ways-are-not-our-ways/.

So many times, we think of prayer as a last resort, as a crutch to fall back on when our efforts seem to be failing, or when we think a situation is “too big” for us to handle on our own. Even in the things of Christ, we tend to plan first, and pray later. Prayer becomes our Plan B. But what if, in the grand scale, prayer was always our Plan A? What if we started the morning, not looking at our planners and calendars, but listening for God’s direction? Even if it meant scrapping our own plans and leaving the “snarls” to God? What if, as our churches planned for programming and outreach, we resolved to do nothing until we had prayed for a month about our goals for the coming year? What if our churches had more people coming to prayer meetings than coming to Family Game Nights or Teen Overnight Parties? In my own life, what if I spent less time writing in my prayer journal than actually asking God to inhabit my prayers?

In the book of 1 Samuel, King Saul undertook a mission for God– God had chosen him to be King over all Israel, and to lead the nation against the wicked peoples in their midst. Saul led his warriors in battle, and even had success, but God rejected Saul because of his disobedience. Saul wanted victory to confirm his status as a warrior and a king. He listened to God’s instructions– superficially. He even insisted that he had followed God’s instructions– after all, he defeated the enemy! But he didn’t do it God’s way or for God’s glory. God gave him victory in many battles, but Saul was impatient, imprudent, and impudent. Saul ended his reign in shameful defeat because he wanted to “fix the snarls”– his way.

I’m not saying that my prayer blog and prayer journal are wrong, or that churches shouldn’t do programming– not at all. But it is something to think about, before the next yarn snarl comes along… Am I busy trying to “fix” a situation that I can’t (or shouldn’t) fix, when I should be watching for God’s next assignment? Am I trying to win a battle to prove myself worthy, or am I letting God set the terms and take the Glory that is rightfully His? Am I busy asking God to unsnarl yarn, when He wants to move mountains?

^5-9So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
2 Peter 1:5-9 (The Message– emphasis added)

Photo by Tobias Bju00f8rkli on Pexels.com

⁸“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
⁹“For as heaven is higher than earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9 (Christian Standard Bible)

I do not understand God’s ways. If I try to work it out with human understanding, I will never make sense of how God works. I don’t have His wisdom or omniscience; I don’t have His eternal perspective or omnipotence. God will never answer all of my questions; He will never reveal all of His plans or reasoning to me. He calls me to walk in Faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) This is a stumbling block to many. It is especially frustrating for those who think they already DO know (almost) everything, and believe that they should be able to speak to God as a peer, even to be able to consult Him! I knew of a man (a convicted felon) who refused to repent of his actions. He admitted that he had done wrong, and that his prison sentence was deserved, but when challenged with how he would answer before God, he simply said–“God and I will come to an understanding.” He simply felt that if he explained “his side of the story,” God would change his immutable commandments and make an exception.

God doesn’t need anyone to “explain” anything to Him. Nor does He “owe” any of His creation an explanation for His actions or seeming inactions. I will never understand why certain injustices are allowed to happen, and seem to go unpunished in my lifetime. I don’t understand God’s timing in my life– why my father died when he did, or why I had to wait so long to be married. But I am learning to trust that God knows every injustice, every need, every situation we face, and that He WILL make all things “right” in HIS time and in His perfect way.

Spiritual Understanding has to come from the Spirit. It cannot come through our own wisdom or learning. It has to be built, not just on Faith, but on acting in Faith and walking humbly in conformity to our Good Shepherd’s example. We must become, not just “fans” of Christ, or even just students of Christ, but disciples of Christ, if we want to begin to have greater understanding. Like the apprentice, who must learn by doing, so we must learn through practice of God’s Word. We must also ASK for wisdom and understanding. (James 1:5) They are gifts, just like Salvation. We don’t earn understanding; we are granted it as we walk in obedience and faith.

Today, my prayer is that I would receive insight as I learn to trust, and I would trust that God will give the wisdom I need for the day ahead– no more or less, and not a moment too late or too soon. And experience confirms that He is faithful to do just that!

Tag: Isaiah 55:8-9

Fixing the Snarls

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