Isaiah 29:22-31:3

Through an example with the house of Jacob, if you acknowledge the holiness and greatness of the Lord, then whenever you stumble He will pick you up, when you don't understand why something is happening He will open your eyes to see through His lenses. 

*obstinate: stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so

Isaiah 30:18,19

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He hears, He will answer you. 

God has an overflowing abundance of grace that He gives to us and we tend to take it all for granted. We fall short to the glory of God in our sin but He still shows us complete compassion and doesn't leave us. As long as we live our lives in His name, and partner with Him in His mission in our lifetime, then we will be blessed when He comes back to take us to the heavenly kingdom we will soon call home. No tears should be shed, no matter what suffering may come our way because our God will restore us and all happens for a reason. Whether it is to make us learn a lesson or for us to grow through experience. Your continued reliance on His truth, knowledge, and strength will always be present because He answers us all the time, in His own timing though not ours. 

Isaiah 30:21-23

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a  menstrual cloth and say to them, "Away with you!" He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows. 

God always gives us the right advice. Sometimes we think "what is He thinking that doesn't make sense!" but we come to realize that it is always for our benefit... no matter how crazy or weird the advice and discernment seems to be. He gives us the perseverance to overcome our temptations and ignore the worldly idols that always try to divert our attention away from God. The work that you do for His glory, the seeds of the Gospel that you plant in others, the service of love and compassion that you do for the community, the devotion and accountability that you put into your brothers will be multiplied in time because He will be pleased. The effect of God's love in your life will be reflected to others and they will see Him in you. 

The nation of Topheth has long been prepared for the king. If Jesus was to return at this moment would you be ready for His arrival? Would your life be ready for judgement? Although God forgives us for ours sins, are you still continuously committing them without a care in the world? These are questions I tried to answer, and sadly I don't think I'll be ready, meaning there is still a lot of room for learning and growing in my faith of God. 

Woe to those, as the people who seek Egypt for help, who rely on worldly, finite things for protection, security, rest. Do you turn to the Lord in these times or look for these things that don't last? Make the right choice and lay your eyes on God's providence for His help is everlasting. 

Isaiah 29:11-21

When we shut out the Spirit in our lives, we become blind to what's around us. We don't recognize God's abundance, beauty, and grace around us. It's when we allow the Spirit to work in our lives, to mold us into the Godly man and woman we are to be, that we'll be able to understand the magnificence of God and apply His teachings from the Word into our life.

Repetition on the idea of what can happen if we don't do what's good in His eyes is clearly seen throughout this book. Stories of His wrath and anger towards the people who worship others but Him is scary. God is a jealous God as He is the only one that anyone should be worshipping.

Isaiah 28:23-29:10

God is wise. He advises and guides us in the most subtle ways. Every step we take, every deed we do is directed by the Spirit... helping us walk in the light, away from the shadows that try to lure us into the darkness. 

He will protect you. He will fight for you. God will rid anyone and anything that tries to hurt you or bring you down. Simply because God loves us so much as we are His children. He doesn't want us to fall. Our God is so good. Let His majesty rule over you. Let Him lavish you with love, kindness, and grace beyond all else. 

Isaiah 28:9-22

God speaks to each of us in His own unique way. For some it may be through music, others may encounter Him through images or hearing His voice. As it says in verse 11, with foreign lips and strange tongues He will find the best way to speak to us so that His presence will be known.

In Him we can find rest and peace. We can lay our burdens at the foot of the cross and allow Him to take over. Sometimes we forget that and believe that everything we do, like all our achievements and successes, is up to us... but it's not. We put ourselves on an alter and believe that all things will go according to your plan... but it's suppose to be according to His plan. He is the resting place that we can turn to. All the rest and guidance that we ask for can be found in Him.

When we don't root ourselves in Christ and remember that we are lavished in His grace and love, we tend to associate our Lord, with rules and regulations. We make standards for us to live by when God has already wiped all of them away. All He asks is to live a life that's faithful and true to Him... and when we think of that then we fall and stumble as it's not only the rules and regulations that can guide our life and provide a safety net for us, but Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 28:16
So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.

Hillsong's "Cornerstone" reflects the same idea. God is our foundation, the light that we center our life upon. If we're able to stand firm on God's word and His promise, then our journey on Earth will be one of many blessings. No matter what hardships or obstacles you may encounter, your trust in Him will pull you through them all. You will never be dismayed at what the Lord can do when constant prayer and devotion is given to Him. He will manifest Himself in the most profound yet unexpected ways. This is a reminder that I need to constantly tell myself as well.

What could happen if we run away and lose faith in the Lord is again outlined in this passage. The chains that bind us to the evil and sin in the world will become heavier, dragging us down. Your experiences will not be fun, but rather it will be of sadness and pain. Let this help you develop your fear of the Lord, fear that without Him, the father of Lights, the generous provider, you will fall into a pit of death.