 |
| Unsplash: Alexandra Tran |
Over the past years, as I've made my way through my 40s, a little passage from the book of Isaiah has been particularly dear to me:
" 'Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
carried from the womb;
even to your old age I am he,
and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.'" Isaiah 46:3-4, emphasis mine
This image of God carrying me--from the womb and on into "old age and gray hairs"--has been profounding encouraging to me, especially on days that feel out of control or overwhelming. I've also been struck by the reality that God is near to me and is faithful to me, through difficult times, yes, but also in all those ordinary and mundane times that never cease to exhaust me as a mother of three teenagers.
And yet, what I've never noticed until this week is the startling juxtaposition that exists between this passage and one just a few verses before it:
"Bel bows down; Nebo stoops;
their idols are on beasts and livestock;
these things you carry are borne
as burdens on weary beasts." Isaiah 46:1, emphasis mine
You see, these two passages, when taken together, demonstrate the stark contrast between our one true God and all of the lesser, counterfeit gods (aka idols) that we erect in our lives:
One carries us.
The others we must carry ourselves.
While reading this short passage, I can just feel the weight that all those things that I chase after for fulfilment and meaning that are really just heavy burdens that complicate my life, weigh me down, and leave me weary and exhausted.
I find the late pastor Tim Keller's definition of idols to be particularly helpful:
"An idol is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give" --Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods
An idol that I erect in my life could include my relationships, hobbies, food, alcohol, working out...the list could go on and on. Many of these things are wonderful gifts from God, but if I turn to them for comfort or satisfaction in life, instead of turning to God, then they just become burdens--like wooden or stone idols the people in Isaiah's day carved out and had to carry. Not only do these idols fail to serve my life, but instead, they detract from it and hamper me from running the race God has for me.
This reminds me of the exhortation we've examined before in the book of Hebrews:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2
Will you continue to cling to and carry all those idols that ultimately fail you and weigh you down?
Or do you, like me, long to be carried through it all in the arms of the One who is stronger than us?
Together, let's ask God to examine our hearts and show us how we can continue to let go and follow Him fully. May we relish the freedom and joy of being carried by our Almighty God, who will never leave or forsake us, this week and beyond!
No comments