Looking For God's Move, Leaving Shame - Isaiah 49:22-3

This is what the Lord God says:

Look, I will lift up My hand to the nations, and raise My banner to the peoples.
They will bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.

Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers.
They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground, and lick the dust at your feet.
Then you will know that I am Yahweh; those who put their hope in Me will not be put to shame.
-Isaiah 49:22-3 (HCSB)

Are you looking?  I mean, are you looking at what God is showing you?  If you can not see what God is showing you, then look to God, even if you can not see.  Give your attention to seeing what God is doing.

Isaiah is declaring what God is going to do.  He is not saying, "hey guys, look".  But, he is saying that God is saying, "look".  The word the Lord says is, "look".

Look here means, "behold".  Behold means: to see and discover, entering into the surprise and satisfaction of the speaker.  Be taken hold of by seeing what God will do.  Be astonished.

If we do not see it, that is alright.  Our role is to look until we see.  The Bible says that it is a glorious thing for a king to search out or investigate hidden matters (Prov. 25:2).  

When God says, "look ", or "behold", it is a call to pay attention.  This word occurs over 900 times in the Old Testament, so it is a somewhat common call for people to pay attention to something that is happening.


So much of our lives is a distraction from what is really important.  I saw a cartoon this past week of an old man who said, "I've played every video game and read every comic book, and now I am ready to die."  My friend who shared it remarked, "and I don't want to be like that."

Consider what you are "looking" at.  What "beholds" you?  What are you "beholden" to?

You might say that you don't see anything.  I would say, "look again", and "keep looking".  God rewards those who seek him (Heb. 11:6).  Seeking God has a reward.  There will be a pay-off from God, for your seeking him; in the dark and in the silence.

There is a saying that, "you don't have to advertise a fire".  When God raises his hand and lifts his banner, it is going to be noticed everywhere.  There will be a "rush" to be where God is doing something.

People will bring people.  Good news spreads through people.

People at the top of the mountains will be touched by the move of God and will use their influence to help the orphans and children who need caring for and nurturing.  These top people will be dramatically saved and have great awe and respect for the people of God, and will humbly offer their services to God's people, out of thankfulness to their savior.

God says that when you see all these kinds of things and experience them, shame will be the furthest thing from you.  God says to look at what he is going to do.  Like it says in Hebrews 11:6, we need to be seeking God, as an act of faith, and God promises us a reward (pay-off) for it.

God says that those who put their hope in him will not be ashamed.  Looking by faith engenders hope and hope ameliorates shame.

Some people, who are part of God's people, are living in shame right now.  Shame is:
"a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior."
For the ashamed people who say, "that's me", God's call is to hopefully wait on him, "put their hope in Me", God says, and their shame will be ameliorated.  Putting your hope in God is something you work out, and live out; something that you give yourself to, endeavor to.  It is an action.

Today, we will look to see what God is doing.  We will look to see what God is going to do.  We serve an active God who is on the move.  What is God doing?  Look and see.

The promise from God is that by putting our hope in him will leave shame behind.
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