Day 2

Isaiah 30:18 - 22

But God's not finished. He's waiting around to be gracious to you.
He's gathering strength to show mercy to you.
God takes the time to do everything right—everything.
Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.

Oh yes, people of Zion, citizens of Jerusalem, your time of tears is over. Cry for help and you'll find it's grace and more grace. The moment he hears, he'll answer. Just as the Master kept you alive during the hard times, he'll keep your teacher alive and present among you. Your teacher will be right there, local and on the job, urging you on whenever you wander left or right: "This is the right road. Walk down this road." You'll scrap your expensive and fashionable god-images. You'll throw them in the trash as so much garbage, saying, "Good riddance!"

I was thinking about the comfort there is when you know you are living with a clean conscience, keeping short accounts by apologising quickly, 'walking down the right road', and that sense then of being able to 'hear' God's nudges.

And it struck me also, that 'expensive and fashionable' is actually good - in many ways it seems a waste to 'throw them in the trash' - but God wants us to concentrate on things that better. So, for me, reading books is 'good' - but reading books that point me towards living better - that keep me on the right path - is 'better'.