Isaiah 2:22 says “Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?”
It is so easy in this life to trust in the ‘quick fix’ or the ‘alternative’ rather than take a road less traveled. The desire is to kill or dull our senses to the point that we do not have to ‘think’ about the problem or deal with the issue.
The problem is the ‘pain killer’ will wear off and there will be a need for more and in bigger quantities. We end up sinking all our trust in the ‘pain killer’ and they ALWAYS disappoint. They are NEVER filling and in many ways only make the problem or the issue bigger.
There are many forms of ‘pain killers’ in this life:
© Addictions to drugs, alcohol, food
© Habits of time wasting – ex. - anything we do in excess when we could be investing in something better.
© Emotional addictions of anger, bitterness, hurt or insecurity
© Alternative lifestyle that no one knows about
© Addictions to ‘online’ places – ex. - pornography, surfing mindlessly, chat rooms, shopping.
© Addictions to other people’s opinions whether good or bad
© Comparison of ourselves with other people
This is what is described in Isaiah 2:22…man has only a breath – of what account is he? The things of man will leave us needing more and lead eventually to destruction.
What this means is that our lives should not be taken up by these things so that they wreck our bodies and minds and fill us with false hope in humanity.
God desires that we immerse ourselves in Him and let Him define who we are!
Isaiah 2:3 says “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”
The promises of God are trustworthy and true and will last through eternity. Turning toward the Lord brings on a whole new way to view life. We no longer view it through a haze of pain killers but rather through the scope of God which is eternal, permanent and trustworthy!
The time that we invest in ‘pain killers’ can be time that is invested in the Lord and when we begin to learn what God is trying to teach us - we walk in HIS paths and are directed by Him. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
One of the GREAT promises of the Bible is found in Isaiah 4:5-6 “Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.”
Here is what that verse means in study translation:
© ‘and the Lord will create’ means that God will take His people into His Holy care and protection for the rest of their lives – all of those who ‘come’!
© ‘over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there’ means in Hebrew “upon every dwelling place” - this is God’s favor that is over and on the houses of His people which would be our bodies because we are the ‘dwelling place’ of the Lord.
© ‘over all the glory’ – the word ‘glory’ in this verse means ALL of God’s people. God promises to give us His Presence and His protection 24/7 and we will see His works in our lives and proclaim it to others! (Isaiah 60:1)
All of God’s promises are for the weary, the down trodden, the poor, the hungry, the broken, the needy - those who need to kill the pain!
This is the place where our brokenness reaches out to the Divine and we are rescued from the pain killers of this world.
Only those in a storm seek SHELTER! Only people in this life that are broken need God and reach out.
There is POWER in the NAME OF JESUS – to break every chain!
We live in a land FULL OF people who are full of pain killers! Maybe we as Christians have some ‘pain killers’ in our lives that need to be removed by the Holy Spirit’s Power.
God desires to use us in this life for His work – to build the Kingdom by shining our Light!
Here is a picture of those hooked on ‘pain killers’… Isaiah 3:8-9 “Jerusalem staggers, Judah is falling; their words and deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence. The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom, they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.”
Here is a picture of us as believers: Isaiah 3:10 “Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.”
Don’t we want to bring this promise to the ones who are hooked? Don’t we want to give away the knowledge the Lord has given us? There are people out there that just need a friend – someone who isn’t judging them for something! Have compassion on the people that are hooked on this life and share your passion for Jesus with them in hopes they will be changed!
Here are our decisions as God’s people:
What is God saying to you?
What are you going to do with it?
Isaiah 26:3-4 “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD, the LORD, is the rock eternal.”
