Our Desires & God's Promises

There are things in this life that we desire very much. They are legitimate desires. They are more than desires on our part; they are promises on God’s part. Desires or promises, they are listed in a beautiful way in Isaiah 58:11:

"And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not."

There is a hitch to this promise of continual guidance and spiritual refreshment. It is an "iffy" promise. Here are the "ifs":

"If you take away from the midst of you the yoke (slavery), the pointing of the finger (accusation) and speaking wickedness (vanity KJV, boasting), and "if you pour yourself out for the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday" (vv. 9-10).

Earlier in the chapter, we find that God will answer when we call, that our righteousness will go before us and His glory will come behind us, and "your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily" (v. 8).

How could we ask for more? It is a promise of exuberant life, some of that “more abundance” Jesus promised, light that breaks and health that springs!

What are the conditions?

Setting men free from evil
Removing their heavy burdens
Delivering men from oppression
Feeding the hungry from our own supply
Bringing the poor and afflicted to our own house
Clothing the naked
Taking care of our own family (vv. 6-7).

The promises are spiritual and physical, but so are the conditions. If you are interested in the conditions which are not acceptable, they are listed in verses 1-5.

Written March 1986.

This post coordinates with tomorrow's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading with us.

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