Is anyone experiencing tough sledding in life? You know – feeling like life is an uphill battle?
"But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon fall down in great torment."
Isaiah 50:11
Okay, I admit it. This might not sound like the most inspirational devotional, but it might just save your life. I saved mine.
The prophet Isaiah is warning us from the passage above that when we try to make our own way – try to live life apart from God’s beautiful plans and purposes, life will be a source of almost constant struggle. Take it from my hubby and me who considered ourselves devout Christians; who were pastoring significant churches, yet took a detour to do what made sense, what we thought best, and not what the Lord was speaking directly to us. Honestly? We had two years of torment – think finances, health, kids, relatives, and ministry – that were an absolute struggle.
God uses these things mercifully in our lives to get our attention. This is not punishment, this is a willful choice to walk out from under His protective covering from the enemy.
No, this clearly doesn’t mean that when we blow it, there will always be a price to pay, but if life is a constant struggle, it is wisdom to stop and ask yourself why and where you might have made a detour from Jesus’ abundance.
In other words, it is time to refrain from walking in your own light and beat it back asap to His.