Lent 2023 Day 27 “Self Sabotage”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20146;%20Isaiah%2059:9-19;%20Acts%209:1-20

Isaiah 59:9-19

⁹ So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
¹⁰ Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead.
¹¹ We all growl like bears; we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice but find none; for deliverance, but it is far away.

¹² For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us.
Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities:
¹³ rebellion and treachery against the Lord, turning our backs on our God,
inciting revolt and oppression, uttering lies our hearts have conceived.
¹⁴ So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance;
truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. ¹⁵ Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased

that there was no justice. ¹⁶ He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. ¹⁷ He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. ¹⁸ According to what they have done, so will he repay
wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due.
¹⁹ From the west, people will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord drives along.

Self Sabotage

Who is responsible for all this mess? Everything is in shambles. All the trusted spaces and places that once brought joy and happiness are gone. If I ever find out who is responsible I am going to let them have it. This is ridiculous. I don’t even know where to begin to fix this, and what’s the use anyway. In the midst of a crisis and turmoil, most of us try to make sense of what we are going through. One of the main responses is looking for someone or something to blame. People are still trying to find someone to blame for the COVID 19 pandemic. Just take a listen long enough and you will hear the blame game being played over and over again. No matter how well we play the blame game it is not until we look inward that we may begin to realize the enemy may be the inner me. We may have played a role individually and collectively in sabotaging our own outcomes. I will also acknowledge that the blame game is a distraction from dealing with our dilemma. No matter who is to blame nothing will be done until we do it.

Isaiah is dealing with this in our text. In the verses preceding our text, the Israelite’s are despondent after returning home from being exiled and they have accused GOD. Isaiah the prophet points out that GOD is not the problem they are. This leads to the introspection we see beginning in vs 9. They articulate their feelings and then they realize it wasn’t YHWH who was the name for their pain but their inability to treat each other with justice. They really have sabotaged their situation. It is they who have turned their backs on YHWH inciting revolt and oppression. They have engaged in rebellion and treachery against the LORD. As easy as it is to blame someone else they had to bite the bullet and be accountable. The result was a disaster of their own making. The good news in the midst of this mess is although YHWH is displeased, YHWH will step in and fix it, not because of them but in spite of them.

This resonates for me today because Lent helps me to be intentional enough to move the rocks in my life. When the rocks get moved unpleasant things that were hidden now come into the light. This light presents an immediate challenge that when dealt with will yield a harvest of blessings. We must be willing to confront our fragile egos and know that in the midst of our weaknesses and rebellion YHWH is still faithful and will provide. My friends keep the faith, face your fears and erase the doubts that lead to despair.

Points to Ponder: How have you sabotaged areas of your life? What responsibility do you have to address your indiscretions? What role has injustice played in YOUR breakdowns? How will YOU offer grace to someone in need today?