Life is Hard

7.1.2011

Isaiah 2:5 5 Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord. NIV

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook last night: Reading blogs and emails from hurting people leads me to reduce my theology to: Life is hard. God is beautiful. It's all I know for sure. Maybe what we need right now is a good oversimplification.

It’s that time of the year for me to spend time in the prophetic portions of the Bible. Each year from the end of June to about the middle of October my reading takes me through the collapse of Israel (the ten northern tribes) and Judah (including Benjamin). Each year I am re-reminded of the chaos of choosing one’s own way apart from God. It is sad and it is true but like my friend’s post it isn’t without hope; through it all God is there for His people.

I also had this happen last night: I went to bed with this thought on my mind: look for the light. And then I read this verse in Isaiah 2: Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord. Truth was, the house of Jacob was doing everything but walking in the light of the Lord. Truth was, life was hard because the 'kings thing' wasn’t working out, the nation had forsaken God for the most part, and they had adopted false gods.

Isaiah’s statement is both helpful and hopeful; let us walk in the light of the Lord is corrective: why walk in darkness when we can walk in the light of the Lord? Let us walk in the light of the Lord is also hopeful and encouraging – there’s a better way, a lasting way; a perfect way. Life is hard, but it’s hard for a reason and it’s not forever. The hardness of life will cause us to look for light – or at least it should. My friend’s comments are so true: life is hard… but. But, God is beautiful! Let’s never forget that. Israel! Life is hard but there is the hope of repentance if we but seek God and turn from our stupidity and self-inflicted blindness! And if ever there was an answer it is this: when times are hard and life is tough stay in the Light – and that is enough. Oversimplified? Perhaps. But it was good enough for Isaiah to tell his nation and it’s good enough for God to tell us…

Father in Heaven,
You are Light and You are Life. May I walk in the Light as You are in the Light that we may have fellowship together and the blood of Christ will purify me from complaining about my circumstances and cause me to trust in You! I’m walking in Sunshine! Amen.