UPDATE: I was floored by how many of you jumped into the classroom and participated in this assignment! (As of noon Monday, several hundred have yet to be moderated but you’ll see them posted soon.) Your papers were FABULOUS. You did exactly what we hoped. You gave the assignment thought and authenticity. My tremendously busy weekend only afforded me a perusal but I look so forward to getting deeper into the stack. You are amazing women. You blow my mind over and over. I wish so much you could all have been at staff prayer today because each coworker brought her homework for us to discuss. We also had a particularly fun and unique translation addition (remember how you were to check 3 translations?)Â because I asked Melissa if she’d read it to us in Hebrew. We got such a charge out of it. It truly was beautiful. To me, one of the most intriguing insights from many of your papers was the varied forms fleeing can take. Those differences were also articulated in our staff circle today. Running takes all sorts of forms, doesn’t it, Sisters? Here’s what we can know: Only when we’re fleeing from God can the enemy catch us. And even then, if we’re in Christ, he cannot have us. Nor can he keep us. Our God be praised. Gotta get back to work! Bible study tomorrow night! I love you, Sisters! And I think about you daily. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!!
Happy Friday, you wonderful things!
As soon as I push publish on this post, I’ll be heading out the door to the airport. I have a Life Today taping this weekend for the Wednesday program. (Two sessions tonight. Two in the morning.) Please pray for Jesus to fill us, teach us, heal us, and thrill us and that the group will be greatly responsive. Thank you! I do not know where I’d be without prayer. What I’m asking for in this Bible study ministry as a whole is something only Jesus can do. I need Him so much.
OK! So, this morning God impressed something on me in prayer time that I became convinced over the next hour He wanted me to share also with you. It’s coming in the way of a homework assignment I want to offer to any of you who’d like to participate. I have to be sparing in my words this morning because I have very little time but my heart is tremendously enlarged over it.
Here’s the ground rule: Please complete your assignment without reading any of the comments. Let’s resist any comparison or competition. Everybody who participates gets an A+. So you’re not tempted and so that you don’t get well into the assignment and lose your connection and your work, do it first on a Word document or the equivalent and then copy and paste it into your comment. I’m not looking for smart or scholarly sounding responses or ones that demonstrate impressive and great Spiritual prowess. I’m just looking for thought-out answers that are real.
You game? Me, too! OK, here goes. You do not need to include the questions or instructions in your answers but, for the sake of organization, please do list them by number. (1-6)
1. Please go to a website like Bible Gateway or to your Bible software if you have it and look up Isaiah 30:15-18. Please read it thoroughly in 3 different translations. In your response to this first exercise, please tell me what 3 translations you read then copy and paste the one that spoke the most blatantly to you. (In your answer you will have the abbreviations to three translations and then the full text in one of them. Make sense?)
2. Look up the word “threat” in any good English dictionary and write the full definition. After you write the definition, please share how it hits you and how you feel most threatened in this season, if at all. Keep in mind that nothing trips the switch on our insecurity like feeling threatened. Be careful as always in this community not to over-share by telling things about other people who wouldn’t necessarily appreciate it.
3. What does “fleeing” tend to look like in your life? In other words, how are you most prone to flee? And, are you in fleeing mode right now?
4. Compare or contrast the Isaiah text (30:15-18)Â to 1 Peter 5:8-10 and James 4:7.
5. One of my translations this morning for this text was The Message. Here it is on the card I wrote out.
Do you perchance need to hear the words “settle down!” as much as I do? If so, why?
6. Finish your assignment with any particular personal insight you gained from it and, most of all, what you discern God is saying to you through it.
I love this kind of thing! If you don’t, I still love YOU. I will look so forward to reading many of your “papers.” Girl, I do dearly relish a classroom, and from both sides of the desk. Lindsee will be in town moderating your comments then I will start looking at them as soon as I finish up in Dallas.
PRAY FOR US! I LOVE YOU!!!
1. NLT/AMP/NIV: This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: âOnly in returning to me⨠and resting in me will you be saved.⨠In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. You said, âNo, we will get our help from Egypt.⨠They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.â⨠But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you! One of them will chase a thousand of you.⨠Five of them will make all of you flee.⨠You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.â So the Lord must wait for you to come to him⨠so he can show you his love and compassion.⨠For the Lord is a faithful God.⨠Blessed are those who wait for his help. [NLT]
2. Threat: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage. I feel most threatened by our country’s deficit and the direction we seem to be going, especially in how it will impact our children.
3. Fleeing to me would be hiding out in my own little worldâŚIâm trying to fight the urge to do that.
4. God never promised that this life would be easy but he did promise to always be with me. He is my âfirm foundationâ and I just need to keep an eternal perspective.
1.NIV
THE MESSAGE
NLV
Isaiah 30:15-18
New Living Translation (NLT)
15 This is what the Sovereign Lord,
the Holy One of Israel, says:
âOnly in returning to me
and resting in me will you be saved.
In quietness and confidence is your strength.
But you would have none of it.
16 You said, âNo, we will get our help from Egypt.
They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.â
But the only swiftness you are going to see
is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!
17 One of them will chase a thousand of you.
Five of them will make all of you flee.
You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill
or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.â
Blessings for the Lordâs People
18 So the Lord must wait for you to come to him
so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the Lord is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for his help.
2. Threat. Reminds me of past words spoken by influential people over my life and my future with my family.
I feel threatened in the early mornings that I will do something or say something that will hurt my children deeply and cause a large break in our family. I am not a morning person and have a lot to get done in a short amount of time so I wake up most mornings slightly on edge.
3. Fleeing is seclusion and self loathing. I am currently meeting with a prayer partner and journaling about my issues. God is keenly aware of my current mindset and I am honestly not afraid to expose myself to Him. It is just hard to articulate the lies from the enemy sometimes. I do not feel like I am in flee mode right now.
4. Easily you see how in Isaiah and 1 Peter God LONGS to restore and be kind and compassionate. I love the word steadfast. And at the same time we see in 1 Peter and James….we need to submit to God….who is gracious and compassionate and the devil will be the one needing to flee.
5. Settle Down….being slow to speak or respond in e-mails. Listening to my children not interrupting them. Defining my emotions before I react.
6.in Isaiah when it reads….”you want to return to Egypt”, I thought how that is me when I want to turn to old sin patterns or relationships for quick comfort. There really is no comparison to the peace and insight I get from turning to God. He is a shelter. He is a refuge. Each morning I wake up I must prepare for war….but thank you sweet Savior, the battle has been won!
(1) NIV, ASV
Isaiah 30:15-18 (AMP)
15 For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength. But you would not,
16 And you said, No! We will speed [our own course] on horses! Therefore you will speed [in flight from your enemies]! You said, We will ride upon swift steeds [doing our own way]! Therefore will they who pursue you be swift, [so swift that]
17 One thousand of you will flee at the threat of one of them; at the threat of five you will flee till you are left like a beacon or a flagpole on the top of a mountain, and like a signal on a hill.
18 And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!
(2) An expression of an intention to inflict pain, injury, evil, or punishment. An indication of impending danger or harm. One that is regarded as a possible danger; a menace.
I am currently studying your âWhy Godly People do Ungodly Thingsâ with our Church group. The study is making me keenly aware of how powerful Satan is and how heâs lurking around every corner. I am finding myself being more discretionary, but sometimes, I feel a type of threat, although I know that standing firm in Godâs word, asking him to purify me through and through is the way to ward of the evil oneâs attack.
(3) When I flee, I mentally ignore my pursuer. It usually doesnât work!
(4) The message is similar in all three verses: Trust in the Lord, be peaceful, restful, quiet, and faithful in His love for you. He will protect you from the Devil if you believe in Him and follow his Word.
(5) I always need to settle down, be quiet, be peaceful and let God control me instead of my trying to control whatâs going on in my life. I need to remember that the self should submit to the Holy Spirit as my guiding light.
(6) This assignment was placed in front of me by my FatherâŚno per chance at all! The scripture and the opportunity to stop, read, reflect in writing just reinforces what I have been studying in your Bible study. I NEED TO KNOW THIS to persevere in a fallen world.
God Bless!
1. Isaiah 30:15-18-NCV, The NIV, ERV
Isaiah 30:15-18-Easy to Read Version(ERV)-Â The Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says, âIf you come back to me you will be saved. Only by remaining calm and trusting in me can you be strong.â
But you donât want to do that. 16Â You say, âNo, we need fast horses for battle.â That is trueâyou will need fast horses, but only to run away because your enemy will be faster than your horses. 17Â One enemy soldier will make threats, and a thousand of your men will run away. And when five of them make threats, all of you will run away. The only thing that will be left of your army will be a flagpole on a hill.
God Will Help His People
18Â So the Lord is waiting to show his mercy to you. He wants to rise and comfort you. The Lord is the God who does the right thing, so he will bless everyone who waits for his help.
2. 1.An expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
2.One that threatens
3.An indication of something impending
I have always been afraid that I was going to lose my salvation. It doesnât make any sense, I know, but I still feel that way. I know the Bible says He will never leave me or forsake me, yet I still feel like one of these days, Jesus may just walk out on me. Put another way: I know I canât lose my salvation, but it terrifies me that I could give it up, and instead of Jesus walking out on me, I would walk out on Him. I think I feel this way because years ago, when I first became a Christian, I had a boyfriend and from the get go he told me he didnât want to get married, was always threatening to break up with me when I told him I did want to get married. I had just become a Christian, he was already a Christian (believe it or not), and since I wasnât raised in a Christian home and didnât have a very good role model in my unbeliever dad, I was looking for my boyfriend to fill that void, to take the place of God in my life, and to take on the role of dad. A role that he was never intended to take on. Subsequently, I guess I have always associated the fact that since he was always threatening to leave me, God was threatening to leave me, too. Silly, I know, but I have never been able to shake that feeling. This guy was even the first person who told me he believed a person could lose their salvation. The thing is, I cared very deeply for this person and he didnât want me, was always threatening to leave me. I care deeply for God, am desperately in love with him, but could there possibly come a time when maybe He doesnât want me either. Or worse, I donât want Him? See how that works?
Now that I have read the second definition of the word threat I think the one that threatens would be satan. He is the one lying to me and telling me that losing my salvation is impending, that one of these days I am just going to call it quits on God. He is the one whoâs whole intention is to inflict evil and hurt me, to damage my relationship with God. He is the one who is trying to damage my self esteem and the assurance of my lasting, secure, eternal relationship with God.
3. Yes, I am in fleeing mode right now. Particularly in the area of fear and my need to control my own future. I am a very compliant person and tend to do whatever somebody else tells me to do, assuming they have my best interests at heart when they donât. After I have submitted to them and done what they wanted me to do, I usually end up feeling very hurt, angry, disillusioned, and eventually I get so scared to submit, even to God, I decide I donât/canât trust anybody, so I try to control my own future and do things on my own. This in turn leaves me feeling like my whole world is spinning out of control and like somebody is chasing after me. I even start experiencing anxiety.
When am I most prone to flee? When my security is threatened. When I feel like I am being backed up against the wall (submitting to the wrong people for the wrong reasons). When people decide to change the familiar in my life and they donât care how it is going to affect me.
4.1 Peter 5:8-10 Â Control yourselves and be careful! The devil is your enemy, and he goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to attack and eat. 9Â Refuse to follow the devil. Stand strong in your faith. You know that your brothers and sisters all over the world are having the same sufferings that you have.
10Â Yes, you will suffer for a short time. But after that, God will make everything right. He will make you strong. He will support you and keep you from falling. He is the God who gives all grace. He chose you to share in his glory in Christ. That glory will continue forever.
James 4:7- So give yourselves to God. Stand against the devil, and he will run away from you.
Rather than hearing the words settle down, I think I need to hear the words, âTrust Me. Let me be God. Let Me have your fears. Let Me have your future.â
I really like these other two verses. What they say to me is that God has my back. What I particularly love about James 4:7 is the fact that initially, back in Isaiah 30:15-18, I was the one fleeing, looking for a way out, having anxiety attacks from trying to control my own future, worrying about losing my salvation, but now, in James 4:7, the tables are turned and itâs the other way around; satan is the one running away. That feeling of anxiety that I get when I am trying to control my own future isnât God. God is asking me to stay calm and trust him, Isaiah 30:15, but I get scared and start arguing with him, Isaiah 30:16.
I also think that the person in Isaiah 30:15-16 is afraid of getting caught. They are afraid they have done something wrong, even though they may not have, and that they are about to get caught. As a result, their first instinct is to flee, thus, in a way, admitting guilt. I know a person who was accused of doing very bad years ago, and even though they didnât do the thing they were accused of, their first reaction was to flee because even though they didnât do it, they were afraid everybody else would think they did and they would judge them. If I could talk to that person today I would tell them, âDonât worry. God has your back.â
1. NIV, KJV, ESV
NIV-15 This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
âIn repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.
16 You said, âNo, we will flee on horses.â
Therefore you will flee!
You said, âWe will ride off on swift horses.â
Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
17 A thousand will flee
at the threat of one;
at the threat of five
you will all flee away,
till you are left
like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
like a banner on a hill.â
18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!
2. Threat- an indication or warning of probable trouble
It worries me that in this journey I am on that I will fail and turn back from the promises God has for me because I know I will see troubles as I go.
3. I have a tendency to flee when I look at the long-term, long-haul aspect of my journey. When I see how far I have to go and all that I have to give up, it seems like too much. I am not in flee mode right now, and because of Godâs help and mercy, Iâve already overcome several obstacles.
4. In Isaiah, God tells us that if we return and rest in Him, He will save us, and if we wait confidently on him we will find our strength. If we try to run away or act too soon, there will be nothing left (and we often leave too quickly over small things). God wants to be gracious to us, and if we wait for Him, we will be blessed.
In Peter, again we are told to wait and to be cautious because our enemy seeks to destroy us. We are advised and encouraged to keep our faith through our trials (a big reminder that trials will come). Like Isaiah, Peter reminds us that God is gracious and he will save us, secure us, and settle us.
The verse in James simply tells us to submit ourselves to God (as the other two passages tell us), and reminds us to resist the temptations, schemes, and obstacles of the devil. If we resist, he will be gone, and we will remain standing in Godâs grace.
5. I certainly need to hear the words âsettle downâ because when I am finally successful at establishing a routine of studying the Word and earnestly seeking God I begin to feel like I have to make up for lost time and I overload and stress myself until I donât want to do it anymore. Also as I have begun a personal journey to freedom in certain areas, I tend to get nervous and anxious about the journey. Hearing âsettle downâ at this time in my life is simply perfect!
6. I feel that God is telling me to rest, to continue following Him, and to search out who He is. He wants me to continue in my obedience and not rush things along so that it fits my timing or the worldâs timing. Iâve got to remember: âHeâs got this!â Thank you, Jesus!
1. Isaiah 30:15-18
New Living Translation (NLT)
15 This is what the Sovereign LORD,
the Holy One of Israel, says:
âOnly in returning to me
and resting in me will you be saved.
In quietness and confidence is your strength.
But you would have none of it.
16 You said, âNo, we will get our help from Egypt.
They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.â
But the only swiftness you are going to see
is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!
17 One of them will chase a thousand of you.
Five of them will make all of you flee.
You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill
or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.â
Blessings for the LORDâs People
18 So the LORD must wait for you to come to him
so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the LORD is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for his help.
Isaiah 30:15-18 New English Translation (NET)
Isaiah 30:15-18 Amplified Bible (AMP)
2. Threat – a statement of an intention to inflict pain, injury, damage, or other hostile action on someone in retribution for something done or not done: members of her family have received death threats .
I feel threatened that if I don’t lose the weight people are going to look at me and say “really, why can’t you?”
3. I flee and try to do things my own way. I cry out to God to help with my eating but then I follow my flesh and eat foods not good for my diet and eat because I want to eat and not because I am hungry. Many times I eat when stressed, worried or upset. I am fleeing Christ instead of turning to Him in the moment. I am spiritually hungry not physically hunger so why I am I overeating? God gave us gift in physical hunger and only then should I be eating. When my spirit is hungry instead of stuffing with food I need to call out to him!
4. Compare or contrast the Isaiah text (30:15-18) to 1 Peter 5:8-10.
1 Peter 5:8-10
English Standard Version (ESV)
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
In the Isaiah passage we see those who allow the devil to influence their decision. They are not standing firm in their faith they are turning to Egypt to receive swift horses. In time they are standing alone on a hill and the Lord is there to receive them when they come running.
Peter is telling us to stand firm in our faith right this second so when the lion comes roaring in our face we donât get tempted. God promises us he will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish me even after Iâve suffered for a while.
5. I need to hear settle down and stop doing things my way. Why am I veering off? I will have to suffer with the extra pounds until I fully turn to God to receive his mercy.
6. God is asking me what am I afraid of? What is keeping me from taking the weight off? I can keep doing it my way and struggle. Come back to Jesus and he will help me if I rest in Him. Trust Jesus and believe He can do it for me.
Thanks for sharing what you shared. It resonates with me. I will say a prayer that God will help us both…Blessings.
I can identify with your struggles for I struggle with this as well. I am reminded of the Holy Spirit often of the scripture where Jesus says, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” If we choose to sup on the Word of God at times of temptation,it will become a source of true satisfaction for us and our desire for the fleshly cravings will dimenish. It is our choice.Lord, your grace is sufficient! Quita from Trenton, TX
1. ESV and NIV; here is the AMP:
For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, In returning to Me and resting in Me you shall be saved; in quietness and in (trusting) confidence shall be your strength.
And you would not, But you said, No! We will speed our own course on horses! Therefore you shall speed [in flight from your enemies]. You said, We will ride upon swift steeds [doing our own way]! Therefore shall they who pursue you be swift, so swift that One thousand of you will flee at the threat of one of them; at the threat of five you will flee till you are left like a beacon or a flagpole on the top of a mountain, and like a signal on a hill.
And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits — expectant, looking and longing — to be gracious to you, and therefore He lifts Himself up that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you; for the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed — happy, fortunate [to be envied] are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy and His matchless, unbroken companionship].
2. Threat: 1) An expression of an intention to inflict pain, injury, evil, or punishment on a person or thing. 2) An indication of impending danger or harm 3) A person, thing, or idea regarded as a possible danger; a menace (American Heritage, 1971)
I have a recurring dream in which I find myself paralyzed by a fear of heights.It’s a crazy thing, but I have gradually come to see this as an expression of the fear of aging…not a fear of death, mind you, but a fear of the loss and change that comes with the passage of time. That fear has gripped me in odd moments over the past year and a half or so; sometimes there has been an event that triggered it; sometimes it was just the possibility of such an event. Sometimes it just seemed to come from nowhere. It was…a threat. Just a threat. But I know there are some scenarios that I am just not prepared for in a practical sense, let alone emotional. I know that life is an uncertain thing. I also know that, unless Jesus comes to get us, the loss and change, in some fashion, is inevitable; I suppose now that I’m past 50, the reality of that is starting to soak in. It’s the primary reason I selected Is. 41:13 for my first SSMT verse.
3. This is a hard question…I suppose ‘fleeing’ is actually getting so busy with stuff that I just can’t pay attention to the thing that is intimidating me. Actually, a friend pointed this out to me a number of years ago…that I use ‘busy’ as ‘avoidance’… when I was even less obligated than I am now. Judging by the amount of ‘stuff’ I have to which I seem to be obligated, I must really be in serious fleeing mode. Not good. Question for myself: How can I reduce my commitments so that I can take care of …whatever it is that I am actively avoiding?
4. I suppose the most meaningful comparison would be to match translations, so here’s 1 Peter 5: 8 – 9 in the Amplified:
Be well-balanced — temperate, sober-minded; be vigilant and cautious at all times, for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset], — rooted, established, strong, immovable and determined — knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.
Whoa. The text that comes to mind to me for 1 Peter 5:8 is the NIV, which starts off ‘Be self-controlled’. But how pertinent to me at the moment is the Amplified’s phrasing, ‘Be well-balanced’?
If I’m trusting God completely with EVERYTHING, then I am not leaving my spiritual center of gravity; I am balanced. Trying to take care of it myself would mean leaving the place of trust — the place of balance — whether it’s because I’m running away from something or trying to fix something that is out of my control.
I don’t need to react to the perceived threat of the enemy’s roaring; I need to pay attention so that I know God’s direction through the struggles that are common to all of us.
5. Oh yeah. And I perceive that this is going to be a continual settling and resettling down…over and over again, focusing on Him and not on what is trying to make me flee.
6. I saw that most of the things that cause me to want to flee — whether it means picking up and running away or just getting so busy that I don’t deal with what needs to be dealt with — are threats. Not actual impending harm…just threats. I’m reminded of a ‘Rocky and Bullwinkle’ series in which the villain turned out to be a really teeny, insignificant individual who intimidated folks by the size of his shadow.
It is the shadow that is threatening me. Not an actual reality…just a shadow.
Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil; for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me. — Ps 23: 4, AMP
If you stop fleeing from something…that means you turn around and face it.
But I am not facing it alone.
1.) Isaiah 30:15-18
NIV, ESV, and KJV . I understood NIV.
15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:
âIn repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.
16 You said, âNo, we will flee on horses.â
Therefore you will flee!
You said, âWe will ride off on swift horses.â
Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
17 A thousand will flee
at the threat of one;
at the threat of five
you will all flee away,
till you are left
like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
like a banner on a hill.â
18 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!
2.) A declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace.
I know Satan is a threat to my life. He is determined to get between my relationship with my boyfriend. He wants me to think Iâm ugly when I know that God made me his and I am beautiful in his eyes. But sometimes I feel like God is a threat, in the way that I know he is right and I am ashamed I have wronged him.
3.) Fleeing to me is running away from things I am to scared to talk about. For example Satan told me a lie last night and my boyfriend just wanted me to talk to him about what was wrong. I just wanted to forget the whole thing, but we prayed together and I felt peace and I told my boyfriend and God what was really on my heart. I flee from thinking Iâm not good enough to lead a bible study, which hurts God and I both.
4.) I feel they all are saying seek out God for he is waiting for you to call his name. Be careful of evil around you, donât fall in the dark always look ahead toward God. He is waiting to give you guidance for your next adventure with him.
5.) I need to Settle down. I want to do Missions and build my ministry up but I want it to happen today, tomorrow! I want nothing more than to share his word with people who have and havenât heard him. People who know his word but are Stuck and wont run for Gods reward.
6.) God has been teaching me so much in 2 Timothy! I need to find my Paul who is older and will counsel me, teach me, write to me, and pray for me! Iâve never had that growing up but I am pursuing my paul now and I pray they are seeking me out as well! I also want to know who my Timothyâs are! I want to find some younger girls and teach them and pray for them ď
1. I read NIV, AMP and NLT
Isaiah 30:15-18 NLT
This is what the Sovereign LORD,
the Holy One of Israel, says:
âOnly in returning to me
and resting in me will you be saved.
In quietness and confidence is your strength.
But you would have none of it.
You said, âNo, we will get our help from Egypt.
They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.â
But the only swiftness you are going to see
is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!
One of them will chase a thousand of you.
Five of them will make all of you flee.
You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill
or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.â
So the LORD must wait for you to come to him
so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the LORD is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for his help.
2. Threat:
a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc.. in retaliation.
An indication or warning of probable trouble.
A person or thing that threatens.
A recent confrontation (done in love and which, by the way, came as a direct answer to my own prayers for God to shape and change me) left me feeling threatened. It took some time but I am realizing that itâs my flesh that fears hurt and discomfort but that God lovingly desires to burn away the things that get in the way of my own freedom.
3. Fleeing for me is usually denial. Denying there might be something in this hard circumstance directly from God. Denying my own responsibility in it. Denying that Iâm the one God is focusing His attention on. I tend to point my finger at everyone and everything else and God points His (tenderly) at my own heart.
4. I love how the NLT says âSo the Lord must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion.â I want to keep that picture of Him front and center – waiting patiently for me and longing to pour out His love on me.
Praying for a wonderful weekend of sharing the Word! Thank you!
1. HCSB, CEV, NASB
Isaiah 30:15-18
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
15 For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said:
âYou will be delivered by returning and resting;
your strength will lie in quiet confidence.
But you are not willing.â
16 You say, âNo!
We will escape on horsesââ
therefore you will escape!â
and, âWe will ride on fast horsesââ
but those who pursue you will be faster.(A)
17 One thousand will flee at the threat of one,(B)
at the threat of five you will flee,
until you alone remain
like a solitary pole on a mountaintop
or a banner on a hill.
The LORDâs Mercy to Israel
18 Therefore the LORD is waiting to show you mercy,
and is rising up to show you compassion,(C)
for the LORD is a just God.
All who wait patiently for Him are happy.
2. Threat- an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage; one that threatens; an indication of something impending
What really struck me is that a threat that is something that is âintendedâ and âimpendingâ⌠something that could happen, something that someone may plan to happen⌠but it hasnât actually happened. Until I wrote out the definition, it never occurred to me before how much threats play on the fear of the unknown. There is no guarantee that a threat will actually come to fruition. In order for a threat to be effective against us, we have to ALLOW it to influence us.
I have 2 main areas in this season in which I feel threatened. The first is in regard to my health. I received some answers last year which were helpful in a way and validating explanations to long-term troubles, but I have no solutions for them that my body tolerates⌠and unfortunately I am noticeably worsening. I have been waiting for 3 months now to get in for a second opinion with a different neurologist and I havenât heard a thing. It makes me feel as though Iâm at a hopeless dead end. I am so praying that God will provide the RIGHT neurologist that will be able to provide even clearer answers as well as solutions. Even so, I feel antsy about seeing the new neurologist for fear that what was validated in the last year will become invalidated, that I wonât get any clearer answers, and that I wonât be able to afford it all. (I am still chomping at the bit to get in with the right neuro, don’t get me wrong, but those latter thoughts of being left useless and hopeless still affect me from time to time).
The second area is in ministry. Things are going very well right now overall and I am in such awe at how God is working. However there is a circumstance (nothing bad) that guarantees staff transition sometime in the next few years. Although Iâm looking forward to what God is going to do through it I am NOT looking forward to the transition process itself. Iâve been through a few staff transitions in my day and they can be messy. The church body is so sensitive in that time. Lately I constantly feel the need to pray a hedge around my church family and my personal family unit. Itâs like the working of God is palpable, and I know that is not going to go unchallenged. For whatever reason, I feel as though whenever that transition happens it will bare our weak points and it makes me nervous about what that battle may entail.
3. Fleeing in my life looks like quitting. Shutting down. Finding the nearest proverbial hole to crawl into. By grace, I am not in fleeing mode at this present moment.
4. We waste our end-of-the-rope energy on futile perceived self-protection, which is ultimately an illusion. The enemy is lurking & looking for an easy target. Our own hysterics and recoiling lead to an isolation that may paint that target on our fleeing backs. Itâs the resistance of the enemy through Godâs strength that produces the turning of the tables: we become the threat and the enemy flees. Submitting to God isnât giving up or running out. Itâs giving IN to be filled up by the only legitimate source of power and protection. Suffering is inevitable, but by Godâs mighty hand and under his wing suffering is also glorious.
5. Yes. Iâm a fixer and a doer. I feel awkward in the waiting and I feel inadequate not being the solution to my own problem(s). I need to stop interfering with what God is infinitely more capable of doing.
6. In v.15 I loved the wording in the Holman: âYou will be delivered by returning and resting;
your strength will lie in quiet confidence.
But you are not willing.â
I especially love âquiet confidenceâ. Stillness does not necessarily imply weakness or uncertainty. It allows for trust and might to flourish. I donât especially love the pointing out that the problem lies in my not being willing, but itâs a truth exposure that I need to be reminded of. đ
Although I certainly consider all of this verse applicable in a general daily walk sort of way, I am experiencing the specific fruit of being âdelivered by returning and restingâ in this season as I dredge through all the health issue stuff. My body forces me to rest when I donât want to & often doesnât allow me to rest when I do want to. But the resting MUST go along with the returning in order to be effective. There is an important âANDâ there. Resting, without returning to Christ and abiding in Him has a tendency to breed flesh: thoughts of worthlessness, wasted effort, negativity & woe-is-me pride. Returning without remaining for any quality length of time; itâs nothing more than an obligatory visit. I dare say that without the forced resting, I may not have returned all the way. I may have been âaroundâ, but I wouldnât have âlivedâ where I belong: learned what God would teach me if only I would be still enough to listen and experience Him so fully.
Loved your reflection on returning AND resting and not just making an obligatory visit. So true and so effectively said. Thank you. This will stick with me.
1. KJV; ESV; YLT
Young’s:
For thus said the Lord Jehovah, The Holy One of Israel: `”In returning and rest ye are save. In keeping quiet and in confidence is your might, And ye have not been willing.”
And ye say, “No, for on a horse we flee!” Therefore ye flee, and, “on the swift we ride!” Therefore swift are your pursuers. One thousand because of the rebuke of one. Because of the rebuke of five ye flee, till ye have been surely left as a pole on the top of the mountain, and as an ensign on the height.
And therefore doth wait Jehovah to favour you. And therefore He is exalted to pity you. For a God of judgment is Jehovah. O the blessedness of all waiting for Him.
2. “THREAT” (from Collins English Dictionary)
1. a declaration of the intention to inflict harm, pain, or misery
2. an indication of imminent harm, danger, or pain
3. a person or thing that is regarded as dangerous or likely to inflict pain or misery
To read an actual definition of the word, I am reminded again that I am not, in FACT, threatened by any external, real force. There is no person or circumstance acting with intention to harm me or inflict pain…
Yet I flee, daily. And what I have come to recognize is that what threatens me are the very feelings I have about some rather trying circumstances in my life: fear, anger, disappointment AND the thoughts that accompany those feelings (or is it visa versa?!). “I can’t take this” “What will become of me?” “How did I get myself into this?”
3. Fleeing
So, here’s the irony. As a “good, Christian woman,” I have learned something about neither cultivating nor indulging these thoughts and feelings, something about “bringing every thought captive.” Yet, as I flee to compulsive eating and wrestle with that every day now, the Holy Spirit has shown me how stubbornly this grabbing and stuffing and numbing is a way of fleeing from these “threatening” feelings. (I have even felt a pang or two of jealousy over the years for women who just lash right out at the troublesome person in their homes, just haul off and rail against the crazy behavior…but then God plucks that urge right away…what good could really come of it?)
4.
đ Ah yes. From what and from whom do we flee? We flee from the Lord (like foolish, stubborn Jonah) but not from the Devil–often our only real enemy. Isaiah describes our propensity to “flee” skittishly from minimal threats (“at the threat of one”) as if we are on high alert, jumpy, habituated to taking off and (as stated earlier in Is.30 and also in 31)”go down to Egypt for help.”
However, the Word instructs us that it is we who are to stand firm, resist, submit, draw near…and it is the Devil who is meant to flee!
I get it backwards. I flee first and only when standing, exposed on the hill, do I limp back, “return” to God (PRAISE HIM that He longs/waits to be gracious to us!!!)
5.
Oh yes. I need to “settle down,” constantly. I don’t want to get too convoluted here, but whereas I used to flee from the “threat” of circumstances or others’ behavior, I have learned enough to know that that’s not what actually threatens me. As the Lord has revealed to me over the past few years that a spring of fear, disappointment and even anger bubble under my contained surface, I am now more likely to “flee” the “threat” of those.
Talk about a device of the Devil! For me to resist bringing those very feelings to God is a genuine deception; and more than that, it’s a kind of idolatry (what freedom IS. 30: 20-22 offers!!)
I need to settle down, to rest, to return to Him, because ONLY there am I given freedom, made safe, imbued with confidence and might to fight the right battles and to “defile” the idols.
[I once did a word study on Is.30 and love the Hebrew for “rest” in v. 15: nachath. One of the meanings is “to descent onto something” “lighting down upon.” This brought to my mind the image of a butterfly gently lighting down upon a resting spot. In God’s ways, if I wait upon Him, rest in Him, alight as a butterfly, I will be given the ability to RISE UP, to MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES (Is. 40:31) what an extraordinary transformation!]
6. Personal Insight/Discernment
Well, THANK YOU, Sister, for pairing a passage I love dearly, IS. 30, with 1 Peter 5:8-10 and James 4:7, because they present a truth I must put at the forefront: there is a Devil to stand against, and he is the one meant to flee. As you taught a year ago at Siesta gathering: Deception is characterized by believability; where am I believing the Devil? At some level I am believing that compulsive eating will comfort, save or just distract me from troubling feelings. At some level I am pitching a fit by stuffing my belly…and all in avoidance of “returning and rest.”
Moreover, the parallel between 1Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxieties upon Him” and Isaiah 30:22, “You shall cast them [idols] off as unclean things; you shall say to them ‘Be Gone!'” is instructive. It is in the CARE of the Lord (1Peter 5:7) that I do this casting, this heaving, this relinquishing. It was you, Miss Beth, who challenged *us* years back to consider whether, at our core, we comprehended God to be One who gives or One who takes away. I had to admit that my behavior belied the truth of my heart.
As long as I cling to the idols of my own making (be it tough feelings OR the “image” that I have it all under control and do not have those feelings OR the addictive eating), I portray my distrust in a giving God.
Thanks Be To GOD, that He longs to be gracious and exalts Himself to show us mercy!
1. NKJV, NIV & NLT
âThis is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: âOnly in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. You said, âNo, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.â But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you! One of them will chase a thousand of you. Five of them will make all of you flee. You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.â So the Lord must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help.â -NLT
threat-a declaration of an intention to inflict punishment, injury, etc. as in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course. an indication or warning of probable trouble. a person or thing that threatens.
I feel threatened that if I donât obey the Lord, He will run out of patience and my life will be destroyed.
Fleeing=rationalizing for me. I am most prone to flee when my physical appearance is at stake, much to my shame. I am fleeing right now.
How do you ârestâ (Isaiah) and âstay alert, stand firm and be strongâ (I Peter) at the same time? They seem to be at odds with each other in my mind. Isaiah paints a picture in my mind of a little child running to his father when heâs innocently playing in the yard and a mean, growling dog comes on the scene. The child immediately runs into his fatherâs arms with full confidence that his father will protect him from the threat of danger posed by the dog. Peter makes me think of a wise, older teenager out in his backyard squatting behind a big fort that he built. He is constantly scanning the yard watching for the rabid dog that will inevitably come. James paints a picture in my mind of a young boy wrestling with a mean dog in his yard until finally the dog gives up and runs off. These seem to be very different images in my mind, but Iâm sure my interpretation is just off.
Yes, I need to settle down. Being harried is such a regular part of my existence that I donât even recognize it unless someone brings it to my attention. Reading your card with the Isaiah passage from The Message just reminded me.
6. I found it most interesting that the NLT version of Isaiah 30:16 says, âWe will get our help from Egypt.â This screams SLAVERY to me. How often do I want to return to slavery thinking it will free me? What a dope I am. Also, the NLT expresses the reason for wanting to return to Egypt in terms like, âswift, swiftness, chase, chasing, flee.â Polar opposites of what is said in verse 15: âresting, quietness, confidence.â The enemyâs plans for me include being on the run-swiftly chasing and being chased, fleeing. Godâs plans for me are for me to be quiet, resting, returning, confident. Wow. The âlonely flagpole on a hillâ analogy made me think of Asherah poles. My life is like an asherah pole when I listen to the Enemy.
Great analogy of the Asherah pole! I couldn’t remember what that was and had to look it up. Thanks. I learned something.
Oh…what a great parallel to slavery. Better the security of enslavement than the responsibility of freedom…we think. Thanks for that comment! I had been considering the return to Egypt as an appeal to earthy strength; you showed me a different aspect.
1. NIV â The Message — CEV
The holy Lord God of Israelâ¨had told all of you,â¨âI will keep you safeâ¨if you turn back to me⨠and calm down.â¨I will make you strong if you quietly trust me.â Then you stubbornly said,âNo! We will safely escapeâ¨on speedy horses. But those who chase youâ¨will be even faster. As few as five of them,â¨or even one,â¨will be enoughâ¨to chase a thousand of you.â¨Finally, all that will be leftâ¨will be a few survivorsâ¨as lonely as a flag poleâ¨on a barren hill. The Lord God is waitingâ¨to show how kind he isâ¨and to have pity on you.â¨The Lord always does right;â¨he blesses those who trust him. (CEV)
2. Threat â an indication or warning of probable trouble.
Iâve been a scaredy-cat most of my life. But in the past 2-3 years, Iâve worked to get rid of that mindset. I felt I needed to not only depend on God, but that it was also my responsibility to do what I could to get stronger physically, so that I could act âin such a wayâ as to not only appear tougher but act tougher too. I got trained on handguns and rifles, getting my CHL. Iâve been doing a rigorous boot camp with a strong self-defense component. The enemy still throws threatening thoughts at me (personal safety in parking lots, for example), but I keep on moving while asking God to surround me with a hedge of His protection.
3. Fleeing â Like other members of my family, I have traditionally fled when anything was too hard, whether it was a relationship or a task. Thatâs not really true anymore. I almost consider it a dare and keep on pressing toward the goal. I spent my entire life in flee modeâŚuntil a few years ago.
4. Hmm. This fits in, I think, with what I said above. I have (some times more than others) total dependence on God but I still have a duty to do what I can, what God equips me for or calls me to. I am NOT called to sit back but to BE ON GUARD, RESIST, STAY STRONG. I love the part that says not only will the devil flee but he will run when we resist him. Now thatâs power!!!
5. Do I need to settle down? Hmm. I donât think so. I do, however, need to get more focused, more disciplined.
6. God loves me, this I know. Recently Iâve sense Him saying He gets a kick out of me.
NIV, HCSB, KJV
For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill. And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. KJV
Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!
Threat/threatening-declaring an intention or determination to inflict harm, danger, pain, misery, from the original – a crowd or troop that presses or pushes one or thrusts one into danger or conflict.
For me, this is a season of relative calm. However, Iâve felt the threat of illness this winter more than at any other time, as Iâm aging and I can tell my body isnât bouncing back as it once did; so it brings a new awareness of my own physical mortality. There have been many times in my life when Iâve felt like I was being pushed over the brink as it were by a family member, almost in a state of evil glee, just to see how I would respond. That was the most disconcerting and when I felt most helpless âlike my hands were tied behind my back and I had no defense.
Whatâs interesting to me about the Isaiah passage is the statement that because all would flee, whoever was left would be standing looking like a lone stick in the mud; exposed and vulnerable. Thatâs the way Iâve always felt if I wasnât able to escape a situation. Totally contrary to what God is instructing here- to rest and realize my strength and salvation are in the quiet and in my confidence in Him.
Growing up and as a young adult I would shut down and physically remove myself if at all possible when that urge to flee was upon me. If I couldnât leave a place I would seek refuge in my head or in a book and shut myself off from the world around me; essentially I became non-responsive. I still have a tendency to leave the room if Iâm overwhelmed in a situation. Praise God, no, Iâm not in fleeing mode- just thinking about it makes my skin crawl.
Isaiah talks about strength in rest and returning to Him in a quietness and confidence not in self- but in Him. Peter and James urge submission to the Lord and resistance to evil and to stand firm in Christ which will result in the devil fleeing from us. I think the Isaiah passage asks us to stop, rest and rely on God alone and wait for His judgment patiently because He himself is patient and waits for the right time to judge.
Peterâs exhortation is essentially an early warning system: hereâs what you do when this happens, know you are not alone in this and that God will restore His children and strengthen them. Almost as if God himself will stand us up against that flagpole in Isaiah and lash us to it so that we can withstand the coming storm in one piece.
Settle down is not what I hear in these verses. What comes to me is â Listen, there will come a time when the pressure is too great, that you feel you can bear it no longer and you must fly away. But Iâm telling you to stay, stand your ground, that I will be your refuge, that I will strengthen you when these things happen. If you flee you reveal your weaknesses and leave yourself open to the devil. If you stay and stand firm on that hill, even if you are all alone, I will be with you and you will be able to stand up to any threat. And, when you do so, he will flee from you in response and will leave you alone because he can see that I am with you. In my head, the scene is like that of a storm, a ship and lashing oneâs self to the mast (God) and being the only survivor when the storm has past.
Beth Moore Blog post: 1-25-13
Isaiah 30:15-18 Amplified Bible (AMP)
15 For thus said the LORD God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength. But you would not,
16 And you said, No! We will speed [our own course] on horses! Therefore you will speed [in flight from your enemies]! You said, We will ride upon swift steeds [doing our own way]! Therefore will they who pursue you be swift, [so swift that]
17 One thousand of you will flee at the threat of one of them; at the threat of five you will flee till you are left like a beacon or a flagpole on the top of a mountain, and like a signal on a hill.
18 And therefore the LORD [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!
Isaiah 30:15-18 (NIV1984) / Isaiah 30:15-18 The Message (MSG)
Definition of THREAT – from Merriam Webster = m-w.com
1: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
2: one that threatens
3: an indication of something impending
Related to THREAT
Synonyms: hazard, imminence, menace, peril, pitfall, risk,danger, trouble
The enemy was using my own threats towards others [workman who may not have done a job up to par or someone who did their job with a âno-careâ attitude with lots of mistakes] I was right there to point them out and demand it be made right. Over and over God was asking me to overlook the mistakes and call them âgrace marksâ. I kicked and screamed that it was not âfairâ to do that. âI was paying good money to have this fixed right.â ButâŚ.with my threats and strife I was being a [hazard, menace, pitfall, trouble and danger] to His very work in others. In the end, God won out and I did what He asked of me [but it was like pulling teeth] UNTIL I saw how it worked. When I showed GRACE rather than threats and strife, Godâs kingdom agenda was able to take over and make an impact on those He was drawing to Himself. I was truly amazed at what GOD did.
Fleeing: In these verses in Isaiah fleeing seems to indicate a desire to run our own course rather than following what God desires. I just came out of a fleeing period with God. I was trying to flee â to run my own way â and when it wasnât working I really wanted to flee â to run away and not to face it. Denial causes us to flee. God was working out something huge in my heart and I kept failing to see it. Finally, inch by patient inch GOD was able to show me where I was turning left instead of right and He even showed me how to get back on course. The course was GRACE. The enemy was trying to keep me in a mode of strife and God wanted me to come to the place of GRACE [in regards to showing His GRACE to others â especially those who I thought didnât deserve it.] HummmâŚ. Nobody deserves His GRACE! Thatâs why itâs GRACE!
4. The Scriptures speak for themselves hereâŚ.
1 Peter 5:10 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
James 4:7-8 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
5. I LOVED hearing the word settled hereâŚ.takes me off the fast track of doing doing doing and just BEING with Him!
6. Reminds of Psalm 139:7 where it says: 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your Presence? The enemy has to FLEE from us when we turn from our own fleeing and RUN INTO the ARMS of Godâs Presence!
1. ESV NIV AMP 15 For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength. But you would not,
16 And you said, No! We will speed [our own course] on horses! Therefore you will speed [in flight from your enemies]! You said, We will ride upon swift steeds [doing our own way]! Therefore will they who pursue you be swift, [so swift that]
17 One thousand of you will flee at the threat of one of them; at the threat of five you will flee till you are left like a beacon or a flagpole on the top of a mountain, and like a signal on a hill.
18 And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!
Amplified Bible (AMP)
2. Definition of THREAT: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
: one that threatens : an indication of something impending
At this season in my life, I feel most threatened by the enemyâs attempts to take our daughter and grandson from us and from Godly influences in their lives.
3. Fleeing, for me at this time, I think, means fretting; trying to work things out in our own strength; being anxious and not resting and waiting upon God; to flee from His presence and His Word because of fear of what might happen and be tossed about in the enemyâs lies.
4. The verses in Isaiah admonish us to return and rest in the LORD God and in quietness and trusting confidence we will find strength. God will rescue. The I Peter passage warns us to be temperate and sober of mind, vigilant and cautious at all times, to resist the devil and stand firm in the faith. After weâve suffered, God will settle us. James 4:7 tells us to be subject to God, resist the devil, stand firm against him and he will flee from us.
5. Yes, I have been sensing the LORD speaking this to me this week – to just relax and give it all to Him, and not try to make things happen, or fret when I do not see what Heâs doing. Heâs working it out.
6. One of the things Iâm learning through this trial is that God has a plan, Heâs working it out and that my ways arenât His ways. I sometimes feel that if we arenât consulting all the earthly powers that be and trying to devise a plan to resolve everything, that if our minds or bodies arenât constantly in motion, that we are being remiss and are somehow responsible for the outcome. But, Godâs word is telling me to give it to him, to cast my cares upon Him, to be still and know that He is God, and that He is in control and is sovereign over all. My call is to be faithful in prayer, rest, submit, trust, stand firm and see the salvation of our God. Psalm 60:11 (AMP) says: O give us help against the adversary, for vain, (ineffectual and to no purpose), is the help or salvation of man. This is not easy, I might add! Mrs. Charles E. Cowmanâs devotional, Streams in the Desert, has helped to encourage me to trust when I canât see. January 24thâs entry contains a quote as follows: âGod knows just when to withhold from us any visible sign of encouragement, and when to grant us such a sign. How good it is that we may trust Him anyway! When all visible evidences that He is remembering us are withheld, that is best; He wants us to realize that His Word, His promise of remembrance, is more substantial and dependable than any evidences of our senses. When He sends the visible evidence, that is well also; we appreciate it all the more after we have trusted Him without it. Those who are readiest to trust God without other evidence than His Word always receive the greatest number of visible evidences of His love.ââC.G. Trumbull
Oh, Beth how this spoke to me
I am so being convicted and dealt with. I could write a book.
Thank you for sharing.
There is a terrible threat in my life, I find myself yielding to it, fleeing means run from the sin of the threat and the devil will leave me. He has hard on my trail.I am sorry but I am terrible at copy and paste. The kjv spoke to my heart.
I so want to be in control that I let my anxiety control me instead of yielding to God and letting him control the situation for my good. I want God to take all the pain away now, not waiting but I know it is making me stronger if my body will hold out. Anxiety takes a terrible tole on a person, I want that taken away so badly.
Corrie
1-25-13
1.) Isaiah 30:15-18 (NIV, NASB, Amplified)
âFor thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, âIn repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.â But you were not willing, And you said, âNo, for we will flee on horses,â Therefore you shall flee! âAnd we will ride on swift horses,â Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift. One thousand will flee at the threat of one man; You will flee at the threat of five, Until you are left as a flag on a mountain top And as a signal on a hill. Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.â (NASB)
2.) Threat: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage; one that threatens; an indication of something impending .
Currently I feel most threatened by some people in my life that do not care too much for me or Christ and therefore hurt me. So I guess that this speaks to that and how my insecurity of feeling rejected plays itself out through this situation and all that God is teaching me through it.
3.) Fleeing for me has always meant to hide away and put up walls. I have come far with this but it is still a struggle for me. God is currently teaching me, through the above situation, how to live love, hide only in Him and not other vices, and how to not self protect, rather let Him protect me. I want to be in fleeing mode; However He will not let me and so I am not currently. âş
4.) I feel like Isaiah 30:15-18 is warning us about what 1 Peter 5:8-10 and James 4:7 is stating and promisingâŚhow we must not flee from God and hard times, but rather stand firm, submit to God and not our other fleeing mechanisms; resist the enemy and these temptations from him and then we will find restoration, victory and such. Instead of us running from God and into enemy territory, we will run to God and then enemy will flee from us.
5.) HahahaâŚ.yes! God is constantly reminding me to âBe still and know that He is God.â Psalm 46:10. I am a do-er and so when things are beyond my control (like answer #2), then I frantically try and fix it and He is constantly reminding me to trust Him to do so and just relax and enjoy the now!
6.) I guess what I learned the most is that when we chose to not do the hard things with God and we flee instead, we become a red flag for the enemy to attack. However, if we climb that hard and high mountain, it is there that we find His compassion, justice, victory, restoration, blessings, satisfaction, etc. So if I really want victory like I say, then I must continue to do my part as well (no matter how hard that it is) and I will find it. Because I trust and know that He is doing/has done His part!
Thanks for this! âş
1. NLT, NASB, ESV
NASB: 15 For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing, 16 And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses,” Therefore you shall flee ! “And we will ride on swift horses,” Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift. 17 One thousand will flee at the threat of one man; You will flee at the threat of five, Until you are left as a flag on a mountain top And as a signal on a hill.18 Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice ; How blessed are all those who long for Him.
2. Threat:
Noun
1. A statement of an intention to inflict pain, injury, damage, or other hostile action on someone in retribution for something done or not…: “the family has received death threats”
2. A menace of bodily harm, such as may restrain a person’s freedom of action.
What really strikes me about this definition is this idea of restraining a personâs freedom of action. Right now, my biggest threat is the self-absorbed fear that keeps me from standing up straight, looking to Jesus, and following him. I read something yesterday in Gregory Jantzâ book âOvercoming Anxiety, Worry, and Fearâ, where he writes: âWe were meant to live this life head up with all senses engaged, not huddled in a corner attending to our monsters.â For me, the biggest threats are the ones that come through my mind, the lies that say God does not, in fact, long to be gracious to me. That he is unpredictable or might choose Bad Things for me. What a lie!
3. Because of that lie, fleeing for me often looks like whatever it takes to dull fear. Usually escape into another world: books, movies, an alternate reality. And oh how those horses fail me! They do, in fact, lend me wings to temporarily free myself from reality, but it ends up being a prescription for imprisonment to the monster. What Iâm learning is that the only cure is a good healthy does of Reality, of the truth of who God is, the grace of Jesusâ love, and the living Word that reminds me: the Lord delights in our well-being. He longs to be gracious to us. He waits on high to have compassion on us. He is a God of justice. Behold what manner of love is this? We are indeed blessed if we long for him.
Right now, God is calling me to stop fleeing, to stand up straight, to let those grave clothes – those strongholds of dependency and flight that have hidden the death and decay in my soul – fall off that he might heal me and raise me up to walk out into His life.
4. This season has made me realize Iâve bought into some ridiculous version of our enemy being the Bad Guy we might see in a movie â one that might push the hero only so far, but, in the end, it will all turn out okay. The bad guy wonât really get to kill off the good guy. He wonât really be that ruthless. And now I see that kill, steal, and destroy means exactly that. The enemy will in fact, stick a claw into my wounded places and twist it around with such menace intent on utter destruction. This makes me take these verses in the epistles so seriously. I do need to take care. I need to learn my particular weaknesses, the places where Iâve let the little foxes in or let walls crumble, places that can be exploited. Shoring up the weak places means asking God to strengthen my will to choose the good: to stand firm in the faith, to humble myself before him, to be strategic with my use of time, discerning about which voices I allow into my thoughts, and to be ever diligent to guard my time with the Lord â not because I âought to as a Good Christianâ but because I am desperate for his nourishment and courage.
5. âSettle downâ makes me think of the way I as a mom often tell my wired little boys to âsettle down.â Itâs a loose parallel, but sometimes they work themselves up and work each other up â wrestling and shouting and falling – so that they need someone to say: âNow, settle on down.â I see myself allowing all the voices of my fears and the desperate attempts at self-preservation and all the âwhat ifsâ to rise up in a clamor that works me up. And then I wrestle my vain imaginings and let my soul shout about all the fearsâ I avoid the quiet and keep trying to tame the monster, hide it, ignore it, or run away from it. Oh to be still and hear the Lord saying, âNow, settle on down, child. Take a moment and climb up on my lap. Sit with me. Depend on me to take care of it. Look to me, and I will deal with the monster.â
6. I read this morning that the Lord delights in our well being. Iâve been letting those words sink into my soul. This passage from Isaiah â particularly vs. 18 â reminds me of his goodness. Of his grace. Of the fact that he is light â in him there is no darkness at all. Iâm learning that while he brings beauty from my ashes, he did not design those ashes for my life. Iâve long attributed my ashes to him, confusing his permissive will with his purposes for my life, something thatâs ended with me living as a slave instead of a son. This underscores what I am receiving from him today: âYou should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like Godâs very own children, adopted into his family â calling him âFather, dear Father.â
1. The Message, NIV, New Living
God Takes the Time to Do Everything Right – The Message
15-17 GOD, the Master, The Holy of Israel,
has this solemn counsel:
âYour salvation requires you to turn back to me
and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.
Your strength will come from settling down
in complete dependence on meâ
The very thing
youâve been unwilling to do.
Youâve said, âNothing doing! Weâll rush off on horseback!â
Youâll rush off, all right! Just not far enough!
Youâve said, âWeâll ride off on fast horses!â
Do you think your pursuers ride old nags?
Think again: A thousand of you will scatter before one attacker.
Before a mere five youâll all run off.
Thereâll be nothing left of youâ
a flagpole on a hill with no flag,
a signpost on a roadside with the sign torn off.â
18 But GODâs not finished. Heâs waiting around to be gracious to you.
Heâs gathering strength to show mercy to you.
GOD takes the time to do everything rightâeverything.
Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.
2. Threat â
1 : an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
2 : one that threatens
3 : an indication of something impending
3. Fleeing â Well, it is just locking myself up in my house and not wanting to see or talk to anyone. Yes, I am prone to flee when I start to feel rejected or like I am failingâŚalmost like going into a depression. I could possibly be fleeing right now.
4. We are to wait on GodâŚhe is just waiting for us to run to him and work his will in us.
5. Yes, because my life seems to be a mess right nowâŚI am anxious and tired.
6. This is good because everything in my life is pointing to waiting on God and he is not finished with me yetâŚHe wants to give in to Him in all areas and itâs not about my will but His!
1. I read NSV, ESV, and The Message translations.
15-17 GOD, the Master, The Holy of Israel,
has this solemn counsel:
âYour salvation requires you to turn back to me
and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.
Your strength will come from settling down
in complete dependence on meâ
The very thing
youâve been unwilling to do.
Youâve said, âNothing doing! Weâll rush off on horseback!â
Youâll rush off, all right! Just not far enough!
Youâve said, âWeâll ride off on fast horses!â
Do you think your pursuers ride old nags?
Think again: A thousand of you will scatter before one attacker.
Before a mere five youâll all run off.
Thereâll be nothing left of youâ
a flagpole on a hill with no flag,
a signpost on a roadside with the sign torn off.â
18 But GODâs not finished. Heâs waiting around to be gracious to you.
Heâs gathering strength to show mercy to you.
GOD takes the time to do everything rightâeverything.
Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones. (The Message)
2. Threat-noun 1. a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace: He confessed under the threat of imprisonment. 2. an indication or warning of probable trouble: The threat of a storm was in the air. 3. a person or thing that threatens. (dictionary.com). The one that hits me the most is âan indication or warning of probable trouble.â The thing that threatens me most at this point in my life is my daughterâs graduating from college in May. She has grand plans to save the world for Christ, and Iâm very proud of her for this, but she doesnât take into consideration any of the practical parts of the plan, such as how she is going to support herself, will she be safe, etc. Then I wonder if maybe Iâm just not trusting God enoughâŚ..
3. I most tend to flee by worrying. I am doing pretty good today; but itâs definitely a day to day battle!
4. Isaiah speaks of waiting for God, which seems passive. Peter and James talk about resisting satan (I refuse to capitalize his name!), which seems more active to me. It gives me something to do while I wait!
5. No, Iâm pretty âsettledâ right now.
6. The part that spoke the most to me was this part of the last verse: âHeâs waiting around to be gracious to you. Heâs gathering strength to show mercy on you.â All I have to do is go to him and receive his grace & mercy! HALLELUJAH!!
1. HCSB, TNIV, NCV. NCV spoke to me with:
This is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says:
âIf you come back to me and trust me, you will be saved.â¨Â   Â
If you will be calm and trust me, you will be strong.ââ¨Â   Â
But you donât want to do that.
You say, âNo, we need horses to run away on.ââ¨Â    So you will run away on horses.â¨You say, âWe will ride away on fast horses.ââ¨Â    So those who chase you will be fast.
One enemy will make threats,â¨Â    and a thousand of your men will run away.â¨Five enemies will make threats,â¨Â    and all of you will run from them.â¨You will be left alone like a flagpole on a hilltop,â¨Â    like a banner on a hill.
The Lord wants to show his mercy to you.â¨Â    He wants to rise and comfort you.â¨The Lord is a fair God,â¨Â    and everyone who waits for his help will be happy.
2. Threat: a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace: He confessed under thethreat of imprisonment. / an indication or warning of probable trouble: The threat of a stormwas in the air / a person or thing that threatens. – I wonât go into detail but this hits home with something Iâm going through in a relationship.
3. Fleeing for me usually results in isolation. Yes, if Iâm honest, Iâm fleeing right now.
4. 1 Peter 5:8-10 & James 4:7 both drill home the need to STAND STRONG. In other words, if I flee, the devil will not. Looking at Isaiah 30 through the eyes of 1 Peter 5 & James 4, I can see what refusing to stand strong looks like.
5. Settle down. Iâve been working my own self up, so that may be why it hits home so today!
6. I think the Lord is saying to me, right now, to calm down & trust Him. That is where strength comes from. It does not come from running away, or pretending this isnât hard. It comes from a heart willing to bend the knee before Him, one ready to settle down in complete dependence.
Needed this word!
1. NIV, ESV, Message
This is NIV: 15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:
âIn repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.
16 You said, âNo, we will flee on horses.â
Therefore you will flee!
You said, âWe will ride off on swift horses.â
Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
17 A thousand will flee
at the threat of one;
at the threat of five
you will all flee away,
till you are left
like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
like a banner on a hill.â
18 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!
2. A declaration of intention to inflict harm. For me, Iâm entering a season of student teaching in music-while working two part time jobs. I start next week and quite possibly will be working/doing school things up to 70-80 hours a week until we get through the spring musical. Iâm stressed already and havenât started yet! I am also a newlywed, so the threat is on our time and relationship. I donât want our new marriage to grow weaker because of my lack of time. We have a great relationship, but I still have been worrying about that.
3. Fleeing in my life typically looks like running away from what God says and building all these safeguards of my own. The more plans I make, the more I feel safe, even though I know thatâs a lie. Godâs plans are greater, and the more of my own I make the less prone I am to listen to Him. Iâm not sure Iâm 100% in fleeing mode yet, but I feel like it could easily start next week as life gets busy. I donât want that to happen again! I want to trust in God…itâs just hard when His voice seems so quiet and overshadowed by the voices of this world-including my own.
4. 1 Peter seems to have the same message-the Devil is looking for those who are easy to overtake and prone to fleeing. Paul tells us to stand firm…which doesnât sound a whole lot like fleeing to me!
5. Yes! Settle down,Holly, stop worrying…I have you and your relationships and this season of your life (as i do every single one) in my hands! Wonât you trust me? Thatâs the message I am hearing today…and yet I still have trouble settling down!
6. As I said above, I need to listen to Him and stay with Him instead of trying to make my own plans to safeguard my life. All of those are prone to crumbling and attack from the Devil…but God is greater. When Satan attacks Godâs plans, God wins! I need to just settle down and listen to Him and trust that He has plans that will solve all of my worries, because I know He does whether or not I am feeling His protection at this moment or not. I have the head knowledge that He is loving me and taking care of me, but the heart knowledge is so much slower in coming.
1-CJB; WYC; KNOX-âFrom the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, word was given you, Come back and keep still, and all shall be well with you; in quietness and in confidence lies your strength. But you would have none of it; 16 To horse! you cried, We must flee! and flee you shall; We must ride swiftly, you said; but swifter still ride your pursuers. 17 Be you a thousand to one, yet at the challenge of five men you shall take to flight; nought left of you but a remnant, lonely as flag-staff on the mountain-top, as beacon on the hill. 18 What if the Lord waits his time before he will have mercy on you? The more glorious, when it comes, his deliverance. The Lord is a God who makes award justly, blessed they shall be that wait for him.â
2- âthreatâ Dictionary.com- a declaration of the intention to inflict harm, pain or misery; an indication of imminent harm, danger or pain.
A declaration. That is all it can take, one person speaking out of their pain, their misery, their life, and they can then speak words towards me that then makes me feel threatened. And I out of my pain and perceived misery can then unwittingly declare something that can then be a threat to the listening ears. Again I can see how much words can be so powerful.
This does exclude actual threats of physical harm, I would have to get immediate help; but I am thinking on the times where someone says hurtful things out of the pain of their heart, and how I then respond to that.
Right now I am in the process of healing from words that I did take threatening towards a group of ladies I meet with. There has been work, meetings, and much, much prayer for both sides. I am trying to solely rely on God to redeem my reputation, my name, and any stolen glory that rightfully belongs to God over the group. I want to be strong and answer correctly that God is my only defense, but I know myself too well, and know that I still get involved where I do not belong.
3-âfleeingâ: My go-to stance in fleeing is âput up and shut upâ. I do not like confrontation in any form. I will tolerate a lot of âjunkâ and then I will come to an overload position and probably will spew, and most likely to someone I feel safe- ie husband or best-friend and then God, yup unfortunately I still on major occasions find earthly ears prior to His. That is a step God has kept me on, to relearn to go to God first and second and only!
4- 1 peter 5:8-10 â âbe sober & watch well; the devil, who is your enemy, goes about roaring like a lion, to find his prey; but you grounded in faith, must face him boldlyâŚâ âAnd God the giver of graceâŚwill Himself give you mastery, steadiness and strength.â
James 4:7 âBe Godâs true subjects, then; stand firm against the devil, and he will run away from you.â
5-âsettle downâ: Oh Yes! I want this fully to my soulâs depth, to âsettle down in Complete Dependence on GOD!!!â I need to turn from my self reliance, I woefully think I have stopped, slowed, and trusted fully in God alone, and then the soft sweet Spirit of God speaks Truth to me, and I see once again I am self relied.
6-âInsightâ â âword was given you, Come back and keep still, and all shall be well with you; in quietness and in confidence lies your strength.â âWhat if the Lord waits his time before he will have mercy on you? The more glorious, when it comes, his deliverance.â So as I re-read the Knox version, I am astonished at Godâs teaching, Word was given to me, and indeed when I first faced my conflict God spoke to me, and yes I would not have it⌠I found no peace, and my heart pounded, my mind raced and all I needed was to trust God, and know it will be well!
His deliverance is coming, and I indeed have to wait for His timing, to show His mercy and way and Lord it will be glorious! What God is now saying to me ⌠âGirl I had your back, I have your back and TRUST ME!!! The Lord is a God who makes award justly, blessed they shall be that wait for him.â
1. (NIV 84), (ESV), (AMP), âGod, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel: âYour salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me– The very thing youâve been unwilling to do. Youâve said, âNothing doing! Weâll rush off on horseback!â Youâll rush off, all right! Just not far enough! Youâve said, âWeâll ride off on fast horses!â Do you think your pursuers ride old nags? Think again: A thousand of you will scatter before one attacker. Before a mere five youâll all run off. Thereâll be nothing left of you — a flagpole on a hill with no flag, a signpost on a roadside with the sign torn off. But Godâs not finished. Heâs waiting around to be gracious to you. Heâs 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.â
(Isaiah 30:15-18; The Message)
2. Threat: an expression of intention to hurt, destroy, punish, etc., as in intimidation. 2. An indication of imminent danger.
As I have sensed that God is on the move in several areas of my life (promised land here I come)⌠the âthreatâ of physical issues and nagging doubts from hope-deferred-heart-sickness seek to stop me at the edge of the river (so to speak). To say I have been down this road before is a tremendous understatement! The âthreatâ of being stuck in the same⌠looms large!
3. âFleeingâ in my life tends to look like⌠throwing up my hands (and heart) in defeat, and thinking that nothing will ever change because I was somehow just too flawed from the get goâŚeven though my love for Christ runs long and deep, itâs just not enough. All the lies I have too easily believed! Thank the Good Lord I am NOT in fleeing mode right now! I may not be as strong physically as Iâd like, but my heart is steadfast, and trusting in the Word of the Lord.
4. After reading the other verses: 1 Peter 5:8-10 and James 4:7, I feel like I just gave the contrast in my previous two question/answers. Instead of believing, trusting, and resting in God, I have too often believed the lies of the enemy and given in to defeat – presuming that a lack of activity or answered prayers when and how I wanted them was somehow a sign of my failure, rather than Godâs gracious and perfect timing!
5. Settling down seems like the opposite of what I need to do, but in recent days (and this confirms it) I have felt the Lord telling me to do just that.
6. The most profound insight for me was found in verse 18 of the Isaiah 30 passage: âBUT GOD’S NOT FINISHED. Heâs waiting around to be gracious to you. Heâs 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.â
For a woman who has been waiting (hope-deferred for a long time); it is a heavenly reminder that Godâs not finished; I may just land in the realm of the âlucky onesâ, and I definitely want to be part of His âeverything right.â
Thanks, Beth! What a delightful and encouraging assignment! That was fun!
Isaiah 30:15-18 NLT 15This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: âOnly in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. 16 You said, âNo, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.â But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you! 17 One of them will chase a thousand of you. Five of them will make all of you flee. You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.â 18 So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.
NIV, MSG is the other two translations I read.
threat: noun, verb \`thret\ an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage; one that threatens; an indication of something impending
Where I feel most threatened in this season of my life if I donât stand in my faith with God the enemy will run rapid in my life.
Isaiah 30:15-18: We should not lean on our own understanding but lean on the Lord for His salvation is good. We often look for answer in other places but God. When looking for the answer in other places we failed and God is waiting for us. When everything else fails and we turn to the God of Salvation He will be full of grace and mercy and accept us in His loving arms.
1 Peter 5:8-10: Be on the alert for the enemy evil plans because he is out to destroy anything that is good and from the Lord. Lean on your faith in the Lord because that faith will never fail you. Even when you are battling something in your life God will restore you and make you strong. Like the verses in Isaiah that says the Lord is waiting on us and His grace and mercies are sufficient enough Peter is saying even in times of trouble the Lord will make us stronger we must depend on Him.
James 4:7: Fill our house with the word of God and His love. When our house is filled things of God the devil will run. When we are on alert for the enemy we are filling our house with things of the Lord the devil has no room to devour us like a lion.
My insight that I gained is that I need to fill my house with the word of God and when the enemy comes to steal my joy. I will be filled with joy from the Lord and enemy will have to flee from me. I cannot fight battles on my own, looking for answers in the wrong places. I need to look for answers from the almighty God who is my provider.
1. I read NIV 1984, New King James and The Message. The NKJ was the one that spoke to me because it says in verse 18 âTherefore the Lord will wait that He may be gracious to youâ I love that God is willing to wait until I âsettle downâ so He can pour grace on me.
2. 15 For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel:
âIn returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.â
But you would not,
16 And you said, âNo, for we will flee on horsesââ
Therefore you shall flee!
And, âWe will ride on swift horsesââ
Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!
17 One thousand shall flee at the threat of one,
At the threat of five you shall flee,
Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain
And as a banner on a hill.
God Will Be Gracious
18 Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
2. threatnoun \Ëthret\
: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
: one that THREATENS
an indication of something impending
I think I feel some sort of threat all the time, whether real or imagined. I wish I didnât and Iâm trying to get victory but itâs a battle.
3. I flee by sleeping if I can. If I canât I pray almost constantly, desperately. I donât think Iâm in full fledged Flee mode right now.
4. The verses in Peter and James say to resist the devil, which sounds like fighting him. Itâs hard sometimes. He seems so scary and I feel like heâs attacking so frequently in my mind.
5. Yes! I think God would love it if I settled down! If it was possible to wear out God, I could do it.
6. I think it was an encouragement that Iâm not the only one who feels fear and insecurity a lot of the time. I love the verses, I love how gracious God is to me even when Iâm all in a state.
Read Holman, NLT and Message
God, the Master, The Holy of Israel,â¨Â    has this solemn counsel:â¨âYour salvation requires you to turn back to meâ¨Â    and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.â¨Your strength will come from settling downâ¨Â    in complete dependence on meââ¨The very thingâ¨Â    youâve been unwilling to do.â¨Youâve said, âNothing doing! Weâll rush off on horseback!ââ¨Â    Youâll rush off, all right! Just not far enough!â¨Youâve said, âWeâll ride off on fast horses!ââ¨Â    Do you think your pursuers ride old nags?â¨Think again: A thousand of you will scatter before one attacker.â¨Â    Before a mere five youâll all run off.â¨Thereâll be nothing left of youââ¨Â    a flagpole on a hill with no flag,â¨Â    a signpost on a roadside with the sign torn off.â
But Godâs not finished. Heâs waiting around to be gracious to you.â¨Â    Heâs gathering strength to show mercy to you.â¨God takes the time to do everything rightâeverything.â¨Â    Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.
threat-a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace: He confessed under the threat of imprisonment.
ďżź
I feel threaten by others lately. I am wanting to flee a lot lately, but feeling the urge of God wanting me to stay and learn what he wants me to learn. He is telling me that he will be with me and He will never leave me. Fleeing is to be alone and be with just me and without others and doing it without the Lord. Letting Satan keep me from serving the Lord in the way the Lord intends for me to serve him. I feel Him wanting me to learn from this and maybe learn a healthy way of confronting, also to sit back and go with the flow. I need to keep seeking what the Lord wants in threatening situations. I see that the definition of theat is to inflict punishment, injury etc. So I am feeling threaten when really I am not be threaten. I need to keep my eyes focused up. I need to settle down and let Him take the lead to be totally dependent on Him.
Thanks, Beth this was so good for me right now. I really need to stop fleeing and settle down with total dependance on HIM!
1. Isa 30:15-18. Read NIV, Message, and “For this is what the master, the Lord , the Holy One of Israel says: âIf you repented and patiently waited for me, you would be delivered; if you calmly trusted in me you would find strength, but you are unwilling. You say, âNo, we will flee on horses,â so you will indeed flee. You say, âWe will ride on fast horses,â so your pursuers will be fast. One thousand will scurry at the battle cry of one enemy soldier; at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away, until the remaining few are as isolated as a flagpole on a mountaintop or a signal flag on a hill.â For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy; he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. Indeed, the Lord is a just God; all who wait for him in faith will be blessed.” Isaiah 30:15-18 NET.
2. Threat â 1. Statement of intention to inflict pain, damage, or other hostile action on someone in retribution for something done or not. 2. A menace of bodily harm, such as may restrain a personâs freedom of action.
My threat is the devil. He is inflicting pain and restraining my freedom, especially in my home life. He tries to steer my thoughts to the negative (do I really have to do everything, why canât my husband do more, I canât get everything done and it sure doesnât look perfect!!) and make me resent my husband for things he doesnât even know bother me!!! Itâs time that it has stopped. My goal this year is to take my thoughts captive and be more kind to myself and my family!!
3. My fleeing is shutting down. Whenever I do mention something to my husband, and he doesnât agree or easily agree, I just quit arguing. I automatically agree with him, even though I donât and am still angry. Itâs not a good way to handle situations like that, and it is something that I am working on!
4. We need to have faith, submit ourselves to God and not flee him and He will keep us and save us!
5. I need to SETTLE DOWN! Everything doesnât have to be perfect. If the house isnât clean, or if the bottles arenât washed, itâs ok. This is where itâs not good to have OCD tendencies! : )
6. God has brought so many things into my life at this point, showing me I need to rely on him more and less on myself. He brought the SSMT, a bible study on my thought closet, and so many people who are posting scriptures that are speaking to me. Itâs not a coincidence, itâs a God Stop and I need to open my eyes and see that more. Heâs so good to us if we just let him!!
Compared NKJ, NLT and NIV
[15] For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not, [16] And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”–Therefore you shall flee! And, “We will ride on swift [horses]”–Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift! [17] One thousand [shall flee] at the threat of one, At the threat of five you shall flee, Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain And as a banner on a hill. [18] Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD [is] a God of justice; Blessed [are] all those who wait for Him. (Isa 30:15-18 NKJV)
Threat-a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace:from dictionary.com Menace-the economy is a problem. I know it is supposed to be getting better but my checking account is below $150 and no job,unemployment or DSS for the past 10 months. I am still looking.
There are some situations I try to avoid. If I find myself in that situation I try to get out of it with the least fuss as possible.
The Devil will try and stampede as many of us as possible into quick and bad decisions. Some of his threats are just roaring and if we stand firm and are vigilant then we will better able to stand with God and resist the Devil. We might have to suffer a little while but then we will be with Christ in Heaven.
I don’t think my insight needs to be posted. Probably not what you would be expecting.
But they might be JUST what someone is needing!
1. Isaiah 30:15-18 (MSG)
God Takes the Time to Do Everything Right
15-17 GOD, the Master, The Holy of Israel,has this solemn counsel: âYour salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. YOUR STRENGTH WILL COME FROM SETTLING DOWN in COMPLETE dependence on me â The very thing youâve been unwilling to do.
Youâve said, âNothing doing! Weâll rush off on horseback!â Youâll rush off, all right! Just not far enough! Youâve said, âWeâll ride off on fast horses!â Do you think your pursuers ride old nags? Think again: A thousand of you will scatter before one attacker. Before a mere five youâll all run off.
Thereâll be nothing left of youâa flagpole on a hill with no flag, a signpost on a roadside with the sign torn off.â
18 But GODâs not finished. Heâs waiting around to be gracious to you. Heâs gathering strength to show mercy to you. GOD takes the time to do everything rightâeverything. Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.
Isaiah 30:15-18 (NLT)
18 So the LORD MUST WAIT FOR YOU to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.
Isaiah 30:15-18 (CEV)
2. Definition of THREAT(Dictionary.com)
Threat (noun)
– a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace: He confessed under the threat of imprisonment.
– an indication or warning of probable trouble: The threat of a storm was in the air.
– a person or thing that threatens.
(Merrium-Webster.com)
Threat (noun)
– an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
– one that threatens
– an indication of something impending
Isnât it funny how sometimes you need to see things in âblack and whiteâ in order to recognize them? Earlier this week, I spent 24 hours in complete panic over an âindication or warning of probable troubleâ in my sphere but I didnât recognize it as a threat or the fact that it is still only probable and how I handle it will influence the severity of the storm.
3. Threats really do prey on our insecurities. There is probable conflict looming for me. I hate that. When it comes to conflict, I want to run away from it as fast as I can or else quickly smooth it over to make it alright (but not necessarily âallâ ârightâ).
I immediately felt the urge to run! How much longer was the Lord going to leave me in this setting? Certainly it must be time for me to be in a different setting⌠When I reminded myself that actually fleeing the circumstance wasnât possible, it didnât stop that panic feeling from keeping me reeling. I even disguised it in prayer â or at least a constant rant with the Lord. âI canât handle it, Lord!â âShouldnât someone else be handling it, Lord?â Why does it take me so long to realize that I CANâT handle it and the someone else is the Lord?
It wasnât until I slowed down and then settled down, that I could once again rest in the fact that God has it all under His control. These circumstances got a âyesâ from the Lord. Therefore, Heâs allowed it for my good. If I flee in circumstance or in mind, I will miss what He wants to teach me through it. (Thereâs even a bit of selfish incentive where I want to âgetâ this lesson because I certainly donât want it to repeat itself over and over).
Praise the Lord that Iâm NOT in fleeing mode right now! The Lord broke through and settled me down. Heâs so good at that! But I didnât need to go through 24 hours of panic. He would have settled me down right away if Iâd let Him. Instead, in His graciousness, He waited until I was still enough to listen.
I think Iâll pull out this assignment each morning for the next couple of weeks to remind myself that God has it under control and that thereâs no need for fleeing â just staying settled in Him â body, mind and heart! Thatâs where my strength will come from.
4. I especially like the comparison to 1 Peter 5:8-10 and James 4:7. They remind me that Iâm not warring against flesh and blood but against our adversary the devil. Heâs the one prowling around seeking to devour me â not the person that is doing the talking. Reminding myself of this will help me remember to be spiritually prepared â and forgiving of my brother. Submit myself to God â His timing, His way, His Words⌠resist the devilâs attempts to make me revile and in Godâs timing, heâll have to flee!
1 Peter 5:8-10 (ESV)
8 (A)Be sober-minded; (B)be watchful. Your (C)adversary the devil (D)prowls around (E)like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 (F)Resist him, (G)firm in your faith, knowing that (H)the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And (I)after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, (J)who has called you to his (K)eternal glory in Christ, will himself (L)restore, (M)confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
James 4:7 (ESV)
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. (A)Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
5. Tuesday would have been perfect timing đ however, arenât we grateful that we serve a God who often uses things like this assignment but isnât dependent upon them to get His Word to us. The Lord used a different set of scriptures to break through to me earlier this week but, today, Iâm going to use this as a reminder so that the enemy doesnât creep in again, threatening me with dread, until the situation has been handled.
6. THANKS, BETH!
1) KJV, AMP, The Living Bible — “For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, says: Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved; in quietness and confidence is your strength; but you’ll have none of this. “No,” you say. “We will get our help from Egypt; they will give us swift horses for riding to battle.” But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you! One of them will chase a thousand of you! Five of them will scatter you until not two of you are left together. You will be like lonely trees on the distant mountain tops. Yet the Lord still waits for you to come to him, so he can show you his love; he will conquer you to bless you, just as he said. For the Lord is faithful to his promises. Blessed are all those who wait for him to help him.”
2) “threat” an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
There’s been no verbal “expression of intention” necessarily but I do feel threatened as a parent. My oldest is 20 and my youngest will be 18 next week. My parenting skills seem to be non-existent. I have failed in so many, many areas. I know I’m not a failure, but I have still failed. I don’t know if I’ve answered this correctly, but this is definitely an area where I feel threatened.
3) As of just this afternoon I am in fleeing mode. Or was. I believed I’ve stopped. There is a part of me that always wants to literally flee – to run; to drive far, far away; to just leave my life as I know it. Another part of me flees by just shutting down emotionally in order to attempt to regain control.
4)In contrasting these verses, I find that all I must do is stand firm (in God) and the enemy will run (screaming like a little girl) from ME. (only because my God is standing right behind me and that’s who the enemy really sees!)
5)Yes, I need to hear “settle down” because it goes right along with “stand still! stand firm! stop running away!”
6)I looked up the word “conquer” in The Complete Christian Dictionary for Home and School – one of the definitions is “to gain control over a bad habit or some difficulty”.
I find comfort in verse 18 in The Living Bible where I’m told God will conquer me (overcome MY bad habit of … fleeing!) in order to bless me.
1. NASB
NIV
RHE â âFor thus saith the Lord God the Holy One of Israel: If you return and be quiet, you shall be saved: in silence and in hope shall your strength be. And you would not: 16 But have said: No, but we will flee to horses: therefore shall you flee. And we will mount upon swift ones: therefore shall they be swifter that shall pursue after you. 17 A thousand men shall flee for fear of one: and for fear of five shall you flee, till you be left as the mast of ship on the top of a mountain, and as an ensign upon a hill. 18 Therefore the Lord waiteth that he may have mercy on you: and therefore shall he be exalted sparing you: because the Lord is the God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.â
*note â this is the first time Iâve ever read the RHE, perhaps that is why the language caught me.*
2. Threat – A declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace; an indication or warning of probable trouble; a person or thing that threatens.
Someone in my life has recently barreled down a path of self destruction that is leaving many, many of us lying in a heap in his/her wake. I can do nothing to stop it. The circumstances have left me without influence or a voice. And there are precious, dearly loved children involved. These babies are supposed to be held in my arms, but that I may never see them again.
It feels like the threat is fulfilled, and the doom is here.
3. Day to day fleeing looks like stuffing myself with sugar and disappearing into the mind-numbing internet. But for the massive threats, the life-altering losses, I tend to put on praise music, curl into a ball & stare at the wall. My home has been filled with praise music for weeks, now. As a stay-at-home-mama, though, I havenât had the luxury of curling up. So I have been finding myself staring into space while doing the dishes or feeding my baby. The praise music does help pull me back, though. It has been a huge comfort. My kids are taking afternoon naps, so I crawled into bed myself. Iâm not sleepy, I just want the pain to let up for a bit. Not being able to sleep, though, I started snooping on the internet with my husbandâs tablet. Now Iâm at my computer. Iâm doing homework not because I want an A, but because I am seeking God for healing and hope.
4. Isaiah â God offers salvation, silence, hope & strength to those who repent and rest. But the people choose to run, to attempt to save their own lives, to flee from Him and their enemies. Yet. Therefore. The LORD longs to be gracious. He waits to have mercy. He rises to show compassion. He is a God of justice. He is a God of justice. He is the God of justice. How blessed are those who long for Him, blessed are they who wait.
1 Peter â The enemy hunts, roaring threats, looking for someone to devour. Resist (not flee) him, stand firm (wait) knowing you are not alone. Our God of grace (same God, same grace) will restore. He (Himself!) gives strength, firmness, steadfastness.
James â Submit to God (please, donât be like the people of Israel who said they would not repent, who would have nothing to do with rest) Do what God says, even if it is something as absurd or waiting, or being quiet. Trust Him. Resist the enemy. Resist. Fight. Stand firm. And he will be the one found fleeing, not you.
5. Yes, I need to settle down. My mind has whirled through a multitude of horrific scenarios. I am trying to in-vision the future and am only capable of seeing destruction. I need to quit imagining what will happen, quit planning what I will say if/when I finally gain a voice, quit predicting greater doom. Just quit.
6. This is a reminder to me of what I already know: God is good, He is trustworthy, He is sovereign. My attempts at fixing, well anything really, but especially this situation will not work. It is His graciousness that has guarded me from having any say in the chaos swirling about me. If I had a voice I would surely be using it. If I had any influence I would be trying to scheme us all toward health & godliness. By having nothing, I have everything. Because I have prayer. I have had ugly prayers, âCould you just let him/her die?â I have had mixed prayers of selfishness and selflessness, âCan I have the babies, please?â I have had heart groaning prayers, âGod, please!â And all those prayers are the best I can have, the best I can do. Because they do not go up into oblivion. They are heard. They are acted upon. They fall on the ears of the Father who loves each person involved. And He loves me, too. He sees my pain, He knows the destruction and doom are real. He offers peace, strength, hope. I pray for the courage and faith to repent, to rest, to wait, to stand firm. He will surely come. âCome, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.â Hosea 6:1-3 NIV
1. NIV, HCSB, The Message
15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: âIn repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. 16 You said, âNo, we will flee on horses.â Therefore you will flee! You said, âWe will ride off on swift horses.â Therefore your pursuers will be swift! 17 A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away, till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.â 18 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!
2. THREAT: an indication of something impending
âImpending Failureâ is how that definition hits me. There are so many things in my new job that threaten to be too much for me to handle. I feel like I will let people down.
3. For me, âfleeingâ looks like closing down and not sharing my thoughts, feelings, and things that I believe God has shown me because my insecurity makes me feel like if others donât agree, I will be a fool. Or, maybe even more, feeling like âwhat do you know?â …the things the devil likes to whisper in my ear. Iâm not in fleeing mode yet, but I have to really keep my courage up.
4. I Peter and James talk about resting⌠Isaiah talks about fleeing ârunning away as fast as I can. I donât want to wear myself out running away from God. Iâd rather run to him and find restâŚand wisdom to carry the responsibilities Heâs given me!
5. Yes, one of the things I do when Iâm âfleeingâ in this sense is I lose a lot of sleep and wake up at night. I need to hear âsettle downâ and learn to rest in Godâs peace.
6. Iâm amazed because I wrote my answer to #3 before I looked up the verses in #4, and the Scriptures are like a direct response to my problem. Iâm so thankful for God sending me His Word today in such a personal way!
I read NIV, NLT, Amplified Bible, Here is the one, or combination (don’t know if this is against the ‘rules’):
NLT:
This is what the Sovereign Lord,
the Holy One of Israel, says:
âOnly in returning to me
and resting in me will you be saved.
In quietness and confidence is your strength.
But you would have none of it.
16 You said, âNo, we will get our help from Egypt.
They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.â
But the only swiftness you are going to see
is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!
17 One of them will chase a thousand of you.
Five of them will make all of you flee.
You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill
or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.â
Amplified:
18 And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!
Threat – A threat is an act of coercion wherein an act is proposed to elicit a negative response. It is a communicated intent to inflict harm or loss on another person.
noun
1.
a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace: He confessed under the threat of imprisonment.
2.
an indication or warning of probable trouble: The threat of a storm was in the air.
3.
a person or thing that threatens.
I feel threatened by emotional pain and discomfort – I feel it to some extent now but feel a ‘threat’ looming like it could get worse – brace yourself, like I can see the storm clouds in the distance, and I feel it growing colder.
I flee by withdrawing into myself… by avoiding the person or persons through whom the threat comes – sometimes I lash out and then let them know I’m going to flee. Yes, I am in fleeing mode right now.
Insight – Stand firm! Turn around and fight for love, fight for restoration, fight for peace and joy whether or not storms come and go, resist! The Living God goes before me, has hemmed me in behind and before, KNOWS ALL THINGS. What is it that I perceive to be a threat? A storm or is the whole thing just a lie – am I actually safe in Christ? Is there really nothing to flee from? Am I and have I actually be SAFE this whole time??
1. NIV, NET, NLT
This is what the Sovereign Lord , the Holy One of Israel, says: âOnly in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. You said, âNo, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.â But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you! One of them will chase a thousand of you. Five of them will make all of you flee. You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.â So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help. (Isaiah 30:15-18 NLT)
2. I feel most threatened by the president using “executive order” on a consistent basis. I feel like my freedom is being threatened.
3. Where I literally want to pack up my family and run to another country I also “flee” emotionally. I decide not to care anymore so that the offending person or situation can’t hurt me. I’m definitely in fleeing mode emotionally with my parents and sister. As far as changing countries go…I guess I should “settle down”
4. So James 4:7 says we won’t get anything if we ask without faith. And I Peter 5:8-10 says to “stand firm” which is the opposite of fleeing
5. Settle down in complete dependence on me! The perfect words for how I feel about our country right now. Why am I trying to save myself and my family when instead I can entrust our lives to THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE. How dare I think that anything I do could even come close to as efficient.
Thank you Beth! This is just what I needed.
1. NIV, MSG, CEV
GOD, the Master, The Holy of Israel,
has this solemn counsel:
âYour salvation requires you to turn back to me
and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.
Your strength will come from settling down
in complete dependence on meâ
The very thing
youâve been unwilling to do.
Youâve said, âNothing doing! Weâll rush off on horseback!â
Youâll rush off, all right! Just not far enough!
Youâve said, âWeâll ride off on fast horses!â
Do you think your pursuers ride old nags?
Think again: A thousand of you will scatter before one attacker.
Before a mere five youâll all run off.
Thereâll be nothing left of youâ
a flagpole on a hill with no flag,
a signpost on a roadside with the sign torn off.â
But GODâs not finished. Heâs waiting around to be gracious to you.
Heâs gathering strength to show mercy to you.
GOD takes the time to do everything rightâeverything.
Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.
Isaiah 30:15-18 MSG
2. One of the definitions I read was “An indication or warning of probable trouble” â This hit me because Iâm currently three months into being laid off as a local church minister. My severance package is ending next week and I need to be back at work within a month or so after that. I feel the threat to my security as time is waning and Iâm needing to be patient and wait on God to provide my next position.
3. Fleeing has always looked like running back to old strongholdsâŚthe things I once thought could solve all my problems or fill up my empty spaces, but obviously cannot. I am not fleeing at this time â Iâve learned that I need to stay on the path God has for me and wait and trust.
4. James 4:7 in The MSG says, âSo let God work his will in youâ which cements the verse in Isaiah where he says, âYour strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me.â Which also drives home the lesson from my quiet time this morning to be still and know that He is God and to wait and watch while He does a supernatural work in me.
5. I saw Bethâs card when she tweeted it out this morning and the Settle Down really struck me. After having a job that seemed like a sure thing fall through this week, Iâve been more anxious in the last couple of days. So I do need to settle down again, breathe deeply, acknowledge that God knows my situation (and my bank account) and that He is going to provide.
6. This is truly an affirmation for me to keep doing what Iâve been doing. Spending time with God, doing the next thing He puts in front of me to do. Keep sending out my resume. Keep trusting Him to find the perfect position at the perfect time. And I needed that affirmation today as itâs easy for my thoughts to turn to what else âshouldâ I be doing to make this job search go quicker!
1. I read the NIV, the NLT, and the MSG which I listed below.
âGod, the Master, The Holy of Israel,â¨has this solemn counsel:â¨âYour salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on meââ¨The very thing youâve been unwilling to do.â¨Youâve said, âNothing doing! Weâll rush off on horseback!â Youâll rush off, all right! Just not far enough! Youâve said, âWeâll ride off on fast horses!â Do you think your pursuers ride old nags?â¨Think again: A thousand of you will scatter before one attacker. Before a mere five youâll all run off.â¨Thereâll be nothing left of youâ a flagpole on a hill with no flag, a signpost on a roadside with the sign torn off.â But Godâs not finished. Heâs waiting around to be gracious to you. Heâs gathering strength to show mercy to you. God takes the time to do everything rightâeverything. Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.â
2. Definition of âthreatâ: âa declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace.â
I am just reminded that as a daughter of God, marked for a specific purpose, I must remember that there is a target on my back. Sometimes I forgot that I because I have an assignment to make Jesus famous, the enemy is always threatening me. In this season, I feel like the relationships in my family are most threatened because I know my family is called to help others, especially broken families.
3. For me, fleeing is far more subtle. I donât run to a bottle or a pack and a lighter or a man. When I flee, itâs in my heart. I start to withhold things I once talked so openly to Jesus about. I will hold emotions, feelings, fears, dreams, etc inside as if I canât trust Him. (How dumb!) But in this season, I donât feel like Iâm fleeing. Iâm learning to trust.
4. In the passage in Peter, I am assured of the threat that is against me constantly because of the enemy. In both passages (James and Peter), it reminds me not to flee from the devil, but to stand firm, resist him, and HE will flee. HE will run. Not me. I love how it contrasts the goodness, kindness and mercy of God that He longs to show to us and the evilness of our enemy. It contrasts our unshakeable safety when we flee to Jesus and the danger that awaits when we flee from Him into enemy territory.
5. YES. I live in Los Angeles, where you drive anxiously, talk anxiously, audition anxiously, pay bills anxiously, heck- you grocery shop anxiously! So to be told to breathe, âsettle downâ, trust is always needed. I donât have to pry the door open or carve a path. My Jesus will do it ALL.
6. This homework just reminded me that He is a good, kind, gracious God who delights in me and is waiting to be good to me. In all the busy-ness of my day, Heâs been waiting faithfully. Nobody like Him.
1. NLT/AMP/ESV
15 For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength. But you would not,
16 And you said, No! We will speed [our own course] on horses! Therefore you will speed [in flight from your enemies]! You said, We will ride upon swift steeds [doing our own way]! Therefore will they who pursue you be swift, [so swift that]
17 One thousand of you will flee at the threat of one of them; at the threat of five you will flee till you are left like a beacon or a flagpole on the top of a mountain, and like a signal on a hill.
18 And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!
Isaiah 30:15-18, AMP
2. Threat: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage. My husband and I are a couple of months away from moving overseas to a part of the world that is considered dangerous. As we are selling/giving away most of our possessions, and eventually our home, I struggle with feeling the threat of not having enough. I also feel threatened with the persecution that takes place in the country that we are moving to. What a great lesson in trusting in the sovereign Lordâs perfect plan and faithfulness to supply all things!
3. As anxiety threatens my peace and trust in Godâs plan as we enter into this new season of following Him and answering His call, desires to not âgoâ but to rather flee (because it might be easier) are enticing. Iâm learning to cast my anxiety on Him; be sober-minded; and bravely follow Him instead of fleeing! Keeping my gaze fixed on Jesus creates in me a secure heart that won’t flee.
4. I have been specifically studying 1 Peter 5:7-10 all week! The Lord has been teaching me how to cast my anxiety on Him and how to trust Him with my life. Verse 8 has been what I have especially zeroed in on: being sober-minded. Anxiety is a disruption in personality or mind, so the opposite would be being sober. Satan tempts me in the season of life to give in, but as I resist Him and stand on Godâs promises, he flees! Oh how I love James 4:7!! Itâs the devil that flees when we submit ourselves to God instead of me who flees when Iâm not submitting to God! Love this!!!
5. These words are just what I needed to hear today!! If Iâll just settle down and trust my future to the One who has already written my story, then I will be able to hear Him, follow His lead, and glorify Him fully through the ministry He has for me.
6. For about a week, I have been studying Luke 12. Much of what Jesus is teaching the disciples is so prevalent to this season of my life and following His calling for my family. He tells them to not fear the one who can kill the boy, and he tells them to not store treasures up on this earth, but rather treasures in Heaven. He tells them to not worry about their lives, and he tells them to sell all their possessions and give to the poor. In Luke 12:35, he tells them âBe dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burningâ and to be alert/awake so that they are ready when He returns. I have been challenged to not worry, stay awake, keep my lamp burning, wait for Jesus, and be a women of self control with a sober mind as I cast all anxiety on Him! Isaiah 30:15 is amazingly encouraging â my strength comes from settling down in dependence on Him! Itâs only through depending on Him that I will ever accomplish anything for the Kingdom!
1. (ESV) and (NLT)
Isaiah 30:15-18
New International Version (NIV)
15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: âIn repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. 16 You said, âNo, we will flee on horses.â Therefore you will flee! You said, âWe will ride off on swift horses.â Therefore your pursuers will be swift! 17 A thousand will fleeâ¨at the threat of one; at the threat of fiveâ¨you will all flee away,â¨till you are leftâ¨like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,â¨like a banner on a hill.â 18 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.⨠For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him
2. Threat ~ World English Dictionary ânoun
a declaration of the intention to inflict harm, pain, or misery
an indication of imminent harm, danger, or pain
a person or thing that is regarded as dangerous or likely to inflict pain or misery
I feel threatened because of my age. The current culture in our country does not respect age or wisdom. Only the young, thin and beautiful have valueâŚunless you are an unborn child. I also feel threatened because I am a woman. The church culture when I live is hostile to women in ministry, even if we agree that women canât be leaders/preachers.
3. In my life fleeing looks like withdrawing from community and family. Looking for that place that will be safe. I am in the fleeing mode right now. Actually, I feel like I have been fleeing most of my life.
4. These words of God are saying the same things. Rest, repent, submit, be alert. God is telling me to be quiet and trust. Trust is my âwordâ for 2013. He is my savior and will bring justice.
5. Absolutely. Because I try to do everything by myself.
6. Wait, rest, trust. Simple conceptsâŚhard to do.
1. Look up Isaiah 30:15-18. Please read it thoroughly in 3 different translations. In your response to this first exercise, please tell me what 3 translations you read then copy and paste the one that spoke the most blatantly to you.
Amplified, NLT, Message
(Verse 15 from The Message spoke to me most while The NLT spoke to me more from verses 16-18.)
Isaiah 30:15-18
The Message (MSG)
God Takes the Time to Do Everything Right
15-17 GOD, the Master, The Holy of Israel,
has this solemn counsel:
âYour salvation requires you to turn back to me
and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.
Your strength will come from settling down
in complete dependence on meâ
The very thing youâve been unwilling to do.
Isaiah 30:15-18
New Living Translation (NLT)
15 This is what the Sovereign LORD,
the Holy One of Israel, says:
âOnly in returning to me
and resting in me will you be saved.
In quietness and confidence is your strength.
But you would have none of it.
16 You said, âNo, we will get our help from Egypt.
They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.â
But the only swiftness you are going to see
is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!
17 One of them will chase a thousand of you.
Five of them will make all of you flee.
You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill
or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.â
Blessings for the LORDâs People
18 So the LORD must wait for you to come to him
so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the LORD is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for his help.
2. Look up the word âthreatâ in any good English dictionary and write the full definition.
Definition of THREAT. 1: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage. 2: one that threatens. 3: an indication of something impending
Please share how it hits you and how you feel most threatened in this season, if at all.
For some reason, I have been building up everything I do as a way that could endup being detrimental to me. Silly things that should not be threatening I will think about how it could end up being. (Almost as if to stop me from doing it) A fear based on things I donât see or can rationally put my finger on. Not to the point of impacting what I do but just something in the back of my mind. â Probably doesnât make sense.
3. What does âfleeingâ tend to look like in your life? In other words, how are you most prone to flee? And, are you in fleeing mode right now?
When I flee, I get quiet and withdraw and go to places in my mind. Unfortunately, the places I go to can sometimes end up being worse than the original thing.
However, sometimes I actually remember to stop and begin praising God. Sadly, it usually is not the first thing I do. Because if I do that, it changes my attitude about a thing and I remember Godâs promises that remind me to trust Him.
I donât think I am fleeing at the moment.
4. Compare or contrast the Isaiah text (30:15-18) to 1 Peter 5:8-10 and James 4:7.
Isaiah: Have complete dependence on Him;
Wait for Him
1 Peter: Watch out for Satan and stand firm in your faith;
After we have suffered, God will restore, support and strengthen you and place you on a firm foundation
James: Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
Isaiah compared to 1 Peter seems to be saying donât let our faith waver during a thing, have complete dependence on Him and then wait (even if during our suffering), and, He will restore us.
James could be applied as saying that it takes being humble in order to depend on Him and wait for Him. Also, blessed are those who wait for His help. To be lifted up in honor by God, would be a blessing.
5. Do you perchance need to hear the words âsettle down!â as much as I do? If so, why?
Yes. It seems to be the theme of what God wants us to do.
6. Finish your assignment with any particular personal insight you gained from it and, most of all, what you discern God is saying to you through it.
Turn to Him with everything. Trust Him and His power to take care of me, of everything. Even if I donât understand how the mechanics of it work. Wait to see what He wants me to do, if anything.
1.The Message, The New Century Version, The Amplified.
Isaiah 30:15-18
Amplified Bible (AMP)
15 For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength. But you would not,
16 And you said, No! We will speed [our own course] on horses! Therefore you will speed [in flight from your enemies]! You said, We will ride upon swift steeds [doing our own way]! Therefore will they who pursue you be swift, [so swift that]
17 One thousand of you will flee at the threat of one of them; at the threat of five you will flee till you are left like a beacon or a flagpole on the top of a mountain, and like a signal on a hill.
18 And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!
2. The threat of losing our freedom to live our life by the light of Godâs Word. The increase of Deception & Lawlessness.
3. “I do it my self” is a phrase my daughter would say as some of her fist words. Wonder where she got that?:) It is something each of us in our family and extended families tend to lean on. “Fixin It!” Instead of waiting on the Lord and listening through prayer and His Word.
When your email came into my in box today it got my attention! I have spent a good part of the day listening to the Lord through these scriptures. He had me print off scriptures at the first of the year on “rest”. What I am learning today is a confirmation and continuation of His counsel for the time…return/repent, be calm & trust Me, earnestly wait for Him, expect and look and long for Him (for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless unbroken companionship)! Be sober, be vigilant; be on the alert; control yourselves and be careful!; Be serious!; Keep a cool head; submit to God; Resist the Devil; Let God work his will in you; give yourselves completely to God; Humble yourselves before God. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ–eternal and glorious plans they are!–will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.
Karlys
La Place, LA
1. NIV, ESV,
The Message
GOD, the Master, The Holy of Israel,
has this solemn counsel:
âYour salvation requires you to turn back to me
and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.
Your strength will come from settling down
in complete dependence on meâ
The very thing
youâve been unwilling to do.
Youâve said, âNothing doing! Weâll rush off on horseback!â
Youâll rush off, all right! Just not far enough!
Youâve said, âWeâll ride off on fast horses!â
Do you think your pursuers ride old nags?
Think again: A thousand of you will scatter before one attacker.
Before a mere five youâll all run off.
Thereâll be nothing left of youâ
a flagpole on a hill with no flag,
a signpost on a roadside with the sign torn off.â
18 But GODâs not finished. Heâs waiting around to be gracious to you.
Heâs gathering strength to show mercy to you.
GOD takes the time to do everything rightâeverything.
Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.
2. Threat: Pronunciation: (thret), ân.
1. a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace: He confessed under the threat of imprisonment.
2. an indication or warning of probable trouble: The threat of a storm was in the air.
3. a person or thing that threatens.
3. Fleeing: I avoid contact with people or situations. I avoid topics of conversation.
4. The verse from James seems to be stating the same as the Isaiah passage. We are to be dependent upon God, only God.
5. I need HIS Peace. I am desperate for HIS Peace.
6. There is nothing that I can do, nor should there be anything that I want to do without HIM. This is especially poignant facing our financial situation.
Thanks, Beth and Lindsee!
1. NLT, NIV, ESV, NASB.
Isaiah 30:15-18
New Living Translation (NLT)
15 This is what the Sovereign LORD,
the Holy One of Israel, says:
âOnly in returning to me
and resting in me will you be saved.
In quietness and confidence is your strength.
But you would have none of it.
16 You said, âNo, we will get our help from Egypt.
They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.â
But the only swiftness you are going to see
is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!
17 One of them will chase a thousand of you.
Five of them will make all of you flee.
You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill
or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.â
2. Threat : an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
This is something that I am afraid of. Perhaps more that I would threaten myself and my own well-being more than anyone else might. It is possible to pose a threat to yourself while pursing something that is good, worthy, and challenging? I think I feel most threatened by knowing that the outcome of my upcoming life decisions will directly affect me, as well as the people I love and seek to please.
3.Fleeing to me often looks like isolation and avoiding talking about my heartâs deepest concerns at all cost. Everyone in my family says Iâm running because I moved 2,000 miles away for school. They say that itâs what a lot of people in my family do… Is that what Iâm doing? Thereâs a lot to get away from right now, but there is a whole lot more that I wish I was present for. Is it possible to flee from something you long for? Can I do this to God too?
4.Compare: All three texts require some degree of trust in God. All three texts also showcase our God as the one who is capable of rescue and defense from wickedness.
Contrast: In Isaiah, unwillingness to trust God resulted in surrender, defeat, and flight. While in James and 1 Peter, standing firm and trusting in God resulted in the opposite, the devil fleeing and our subsequent victory.
5.Beth, honestly I didnât. I probably wouldnât have even focused on that if it wasnât for you. Perhaps Iâm too busy fleeing ârestâ and fleeing âsettling downâ to slow down long enough to hear God calling me back to rest and trust.
6.I think what I will take away from this is my absolute need for God. He wanted me to slow down from my busy life today to remember that life is a little bit more about Him than it is me. If I want to start triumphing over evil in my life and feeling secure in His arms, I need to be turning to the only one able to keep me firm in my faith.
1. ESV/NIV/NET
“For this is what the master, the Lord, the Holy One of Israel says:â¨âIf you repented and patiently waited for me, you would be delivered;â¨if you calmly trusted in me you would find strength,â¨but you are unwilling.Â
You say, âNo, we will flee on horses,ââ¨so you will indeed flee.â¨You say, âWe will ride on fast horses,ââ¨so your pursuers will be fast.
One thousand will scurry at the battle cry of one enemy soldier;â¨at the battle cry of five enemy soldiers you will all run away,â¨until the remaining few are as isolatedâ¨as a flagpole on a mountaintopâ¨or a signal flag on a hill.â
For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy;â¨he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you.â¨Indeed, the Lord is a just God;â¨all who wait for him in faith will be blessed.” (NET)
2. Threat:
1. a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace
2. An indication or warning or probable trouble
3. A person or thing that threatens
When I read the definition it makes me think of the enemy and his many disguises. Right now I feel most threatened in the area of family. I could break it down into categories like jobs, finances, addictions, etc., but the thing that is threatened is the strength and unity of relationships. The enemy is alive and well, and would love nothing more than to destroy families that are having an effect for the Kingdom. Relationships are tough.
3. When I feel threatened I tend to shut everything inside and avoid confrontation at all costs. That can make a person a wreck from the inside out! Praise Jesus, I can say that I am DONE being in fleeing mode. He is in the business of making ALL things new, including how I handle situations.
4. We aren’t called to be flee-ers! (New word!) That’s the devil’s job. We have to “repent” and “rest” before we can “resist”.
5. Fleeing can wear a girl out! It’s exhausting. I held a tiny baby girl today as she slept. What a perfect picture of “settling down in complete dependence.”
6. What a timely reminder to REST. If my mind feels like it’s about to spin out of control, I’m probably not trusting completely. God is ready to show me mercy if I will just let him.
1. NIV, NLT, NASB
New International Version (NIV)
15 This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
âIn repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.
16 You said, âNo, we will flee on horses.â
Therefore you will flee!
You said, âWe will ride off on swift horses.â
Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
17 A thousand will flee
at the threat of one;
at the threat of five
you will all flee away,
till you are left
like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
like a banner on a hill.â
18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!
2. Threat
1.a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace: He confessed under the threat of imprisonment. 2. an indication or warning of probable trouble: The threat of a storm was in the air. 3. a person or thing that threatens
Too personal for details here, but oh does this hit home! The warning signs of probable trouble make me tremble at even the thought.
3. Iâm not in fleeing mode from God, but I am in fleeing mode from the trouble brewing about. I would rather just brush my hands of the situation. What a reminder of whose side of the battle I want to be on.
4. YES! Settle down is exactly what I needed to hear this morning! Praise you, Lord!
5. Itâs not time to give up yet, time to keep fighting the good fight!
1. NIV, AMP, MSG
God, the Master, The Holy of Israel,â¨Â    has this solemn counsel:â¨âYour salvation requires you to turn back to meâ¨Â    and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.â¨Your strength will come from settling downâ¨Â    in complete dependence on meââ¨The very thingâ¨Â    youâve been unwilling to do.â¨Youâve said, âNothing doing! Weâll rush off on horseback!ââ¨Â    Youâll rush off, all right! Just not far enough!â¨Youâve said, âWeâll ride off on fast horses!ââ¨Â    Do you think your pursuers ride old nags?â¨Think again: A thousand of you will scatter before one attacker.â¨Â    Before a mere five youâll all run off.â¨Thereâll be nothing left of youââ¨Â    a flagpole on a hill with no flag,â¨Â    a signpost on a roadside with the sign torn off.â
But Godâs not finished. Heâs waiting around to be gracious to you.â¨Â    Heâs gathering strength to show mercy to you.â¨God takes the time to do everything rightâeverything.â¨Â    Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.
2. threat – 1. a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace: He confessed under the threat of imprisonment.
2. an indication or warning of probable trouble: The threat of a storm was in the air.
3. a person or thing that threatens.
I often feel that the enemy would inflict harm on my family if he could, and I pray desperately for them, but in this season I feel most threatened by my own feelings of uselessness and inadequacy. I know that many stay-at-home moms feel like this when knee-deep in “mundane” things, but it doesn’t make it easier to take. I’m afraid that my negative feelings about myself are keeping me from being a good wife and mother.
3. I flee by getting alone and choosing not to think about negative things. Some of it is self-care since I’m very much an introvert and NEED time to myself like I need water, but sometimes I have a hard time judging if I’m taking care of myself or just not dealing with stuff that I need to be dealing with.
4. All of these verses seem to be saying that I should stand my ground and watch for God to do something glorious.
5. That’s not the part that stood out to me.
6. The enemy’s plan for me is to run me off from seeing God’s goodness in action and see only defeat. But God has generous and great plans for me that are gracious and merciful and glorious and eternal. And he’ll fulfill his plans just right when I stand my ground and kneel in submission to Him.
I see that, but I’m having a hard time taking it in right now. I’m 38-years-old and have had more than my fair share of misery. I’ve mostly tried to have a good attitude about it, even under terrible circumstances, but now I’m just weary. I’m going to go kneel in prayer right after posting this, but I’m wondering if I will ever stop feeling like a victim.
Leslie, I’m praying for you.
1. NIV, MSG, GNT
Good News Translation (Isaiah 30:15-18):
The Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says to the people, âCome back and quietly trust in me. Then you will be strong and secure.â But you refuse to do it. Instead, you plan to escape from your enemies by riding fast horses. And you are right â escape is what you will have to do! You think your horses are fast enough, but those who pursue you will be faster! A thousand of you will run away when you see one enemy soldier, and five soldiers will be enough to make you all run away. Nothing will be left of your army except a lonely flagpole on the top of a hill. And yet the LORD is waiting to be merciful to you. He is ready to take pity on you because he always does what is right. Happy are those who put their trust in the LORD.
2. Threat â a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace; an indication or warning of probable trouble; to threaten, pressure, oppression.
3. Fleeing â removing myself from the person or situation causing me negativity, or if removal is not possible, fleeing emotionally, but silently, from the person or situation. Definitely in a fleeing mode right now but courageously fleeing into the arms of Jesus.
4. Isaiah 30:15-18 15Come back and quietly trust in me. Then you will be strong and secure.
1 Peter 5: 8-10 GNT â 10But after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who calls you to share his eternal glory in union with Christ, will himself perfect you and give you firmness, strength, and a sure foundation.
James 4:7 GNT â So then, submit yourselves to God.
TRUST, SURE FOUNDATION, SUBMIT TO GOD â powerful way to live oneâs life.
5. I do need to hear the words, âsettle downâ, settle down in the love of God and in trusting Him with the life He has given me. What in the world am I so stressed about when I have Godâs words to lead me?
6. TRUST HIM. I Trust You Jesus. Then and only then will I be strong and secure.
1)The Message, ESV, Amp
Isaiah 30:15-18 Amplified Bible (AMP)
15 For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength. But you would not,
16 And you said, No! We will speed [our own course] on horses! Therefore you will speed [in flight from your enemies]! You said, We will ride upon swift steeds [doing our own way]! Therefore will they who pursue you be swift, [so swift that]
17 One thousand of you will flee at the threat of one of them; at the threat of five you will flee till you are left like a beacon or a flagpole on the top of a mountain, and like a signal on a hill.
18 And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!
2)threat: (noun) 1. An expression of an intention to inflict pain, injury, evil, or punishment on a person or thing. 2. An indication of impending danger or harm. 3. A person, thing, or idea regarded as a possible danger, a menace.
(verb) to threaten
[Old English threat, oppression, use of force, threat.]
from The American Heritage Dictionary
from Dictionary.com
threat (noun)
* a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace: He confessed under the threat of imprisonment.
* an indication or warning of probable trouble: The threat of a storm was in the air.
* a person or thing that threatens.
(verb) Archaic. to threaten
In this current season I feel most threatened by the voices in my head â the constant âbeating upâ, pessimistic & fearful thoughts when I am alone/not focused on helping another.
3) âFleeing in my lifeâ tends to look like isolating myself/pulling away from those I have failed/am failing, quitting the assignment I have committed to, and hiding in the security of my home.
Yes, I am counting down the days till I will be finished with the current job and can stay at home again.
4)In Isaiah 30:15-18, Israel is resisting the Lord and fleeing from its pursuers. 1 Peter 5:8 tells that the devil is seeking someone to devour and to resist him.
Isaiah 30:18 states that the LORD waits to be gracious to you and 1 Peter 5:10 has written that âafter you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, âŚwill himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
In 1 Peter 5: 8-10 and James 4:7, the message is to resist the devil, submit to God and the devil will flee from you, which is basically what Isaiah 30:15-18 is telling Israel. If Israel would rest in the Lord God, in quietness and trust, they would be saved from their enemy.
5)I think I needed to see the words âCOMPLETE DEPENDENCEâ. I rebel at the thought of being dependentâŚI am going to be let down/hurt so just take and guard my heart.
6)First, I needed this homework assignment to feed a hunger for being in Godâs word like I use to have in years past. For the past year, I just âsnackâ on His word to have a quiet time or to have read the Sunday Schoolâs lesson then I move on to my other daily activities. So thank you for giving this assignment.
Second, the personal insight is the âmenaceâ I am allowing to desire me to flee instead of trusting God and waiting on Him.
Most definitely in verse 18 of Amp.: âBlessed âŚare all those who {earnestly} wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him⌠{I need to return to longing for Him}
3 translations are NIV, New Living Translation, Amplified Version
I chose NLT: The Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel says, ” Only in returning to Me and waiting for ME will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. You said, “No, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’ But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you! One of them will chase a thousand of you. Five of them will make all of you flee. You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a distant mountaintop.” But the LORD still waits for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for Him to help them.
2. threat: an expression of intention to hurt, destroy or punish as in retaliation or intimidation.
I feel that the enemy tries to intimidate me, like Sanballat and his cohorts did to the returning exiles and Nehemiah. I’m learning not to listen to his threats, and that they simply are temptation for me to have unbelief in my heart and not trust Yaweh for the outcome.
3. Fleeing: when I “flee” I run away from God & do my own thing; stop reading my Bible, stop praying, stop worshipping, stop attending church.
4. Contrast the 3 verses: It’s all about keeping our focus on Christ! When we focus on Him, we can resist the devil, we are self-controlled, we are alert, etc. The devil may still try and chase us, but I believe we hold our ground much stronger w/ our focus on Jesus!
I can’t find the reference, but in the OT there is a verse which talks about a guy in the field doing his work, and the Hittites, (or some enemy) comes against him trying to intimidate him. He does not flee, he stands his ground! I LOVE IT! He keeps on with his assignment.
5. Personal Insight: It’s all about the focus being kept on Jesus. Hebs. 12:1,2 is my verse for next month’s memory verse & it says it all for me. Run my race that God has marked out for me w/ perseverance and endurance by keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus, the ONE whom I depend on from start to finish. He’ll take care of the Sanballats and Tobiahs in our lives. Don’t listen to the lies, don’t believe the lies. REPLACE THE LIES WITH THE TRUTH…THE TRUTH WILL SET ME FREE!!!!!!