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. NASB, NKJV, Message, HCSB
For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength will lie in quiet confidence. But you are not willing.” You say, “No! We will escape on horses” – therefore you will escape – and, “We will ride on fast horses” but those who pursue you will be faster. One thousand will flee at the threat of one, 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. Therefore, the Lord is waiting to show you mercy and is rising up to show you compassion, for the Lord is a just God. All who wait patiently for Him are happy. HCSB
2. threat: declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, loss or pain on another
I feel most threatened by illness. The threat of our family’s constant little illnesses pale in comparison to the (Friday diagnosed) life-threatening illness my mom has just been told she has. I am threatened by the potential loss of my mom. God is not “intentionally inflicting loss and pain” on me – I do not feel threatened by Him, although I know He is sovereign over this. I have to keep saying to myself over and over – “Not all things are good, but all things work together for good to those who love God!”
3. Fleeing is giving in to any and all distractions (silly and time wasting or productive). Cleaning out a closet, file drawer, my girls’ room or any other minor project that has nothing to do with my feeling of being threatened is far more appealing than facing my threat.
4. Peter gives quite a formidable image of our threat! He also reminds us that we do not suffer alone. Our sufferings are common among believers regardless of where we live. Both James and Peter tell us that escaping this present threat requires firm effort on our part. This is the place to be stubborn! Peter also shares some good news to add strength to our effort – “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”
5. If I don’t need to be told to “settle down” now I am certain I will. Fleeing-mode has not yet hit with this new threat. I am still sitting with the wind knocked out of me.
6. 1 Peter5:6 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon HIm, for He cares for you.”
There is not one thing I can do about mom’s cancer. “God resists the proud.” There is no room here for pride. This is His! I must “settle down” in “quiet confidence” under His might hand and watch for Him to do something BIG!!!
Thank you for this assignment. It was perfectly timed for me.
1. NIV, NLV, NCV
15 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.
If you will be calm and trust me, you will be strong.â
But you donât want to do that.
16 You say, âNo, we need horses to run away on.â
So you will run away on horses.
You say, âWe will ride away on fast horses.â
So those who chase you will be fast.
17 One enemy will make threats,
and a thousand of your men will run away.
Five enemies will make threats,
and all of you will run from them.
You will be left alone like a flagpole on a hilltop,
like a banner on a hill.
18 The LORD wants to show his mercy to you.
He wants to rise and comfort you.
The LORD is a fair God,
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. 2. An indication or warning of probably trouble.. 3.a person or thing that threatens.
When I read the definition I thought this is how people are living right not, they feel the indication of probable trouble, either from the threat of losing their job, their family, their homes, their health⌠I think we live under the constant bombardment of constant threat to something that makes it difficult to live in the calm and peace of trusting the One that calm the storm of the threats that tend to hit us. I know that I am guilty of this myself; the threat causes you to take matters in your own hands rather than trust in HIM. It pushes you to work longer hours, which therefore impact health and family⌠I think how God has been whispering for me to be still yet the feeling of threat makes that stillness so difficult to obtain and most importantly maintainâŚ
3. Fleeing is running and even avoiding the situation that is threatening. Not taking it to my DADDY, who already knows and who can protect me from the threat and even walk me through the very thing or situation I fearing. He has been dealing with me on this trusting Him and allowing Him, I still battle moments of fleeingâŚ. Or avoiding going to Him in the midst of what I feeling the most threatened by at the timeâŚ.
4. I think both of these verse reinforce what He is saying in the Isaiah scripture, trust HIM, stand at the threat of the devil, and trust HIM, donât flee, donât run from it but stand strong in the peace of God. Give ourselves completely to God, and if we give ourselves completely then it is the devil that will flee from us! YEA!!!
5. I do need to hear the words âsettle downâ daily and sometimes multiple times in a dayâŚ.. I know, at this point I shouldnât need to hear it every day but I do. I know in my head, that God can handle it all, that He can defeat the very thing or situation that is threatening me but I have to get it in my heart, believe it so deep that I am no longer looking at the threat and totally looking at Him and being at peace even in the midst.
6. I gained insight that I am still not completely trusting Him, that I am still trying to resolve the threat myself, that I need to allow Him to show me how to stand strong, continue to trust Him. He has been telling me for years to BE STILL and KNOW that I AM GOD. This goes along with this today, Be still, be calm and trust HIM for His help. I enjoyed this exercise because it reinforces what He is speaking to me. I work in a lot of conflict, but He wants me to be different and be calm in the midst, trust that He has me regardless of what this looks like around me. To come out of this fight and flight mode and be at peace, be calm, trust Him and ask Him for help. This is good stuff!
1. 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.
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.
Isaiah 30: 15-18 NIV
Isaiah 30:15-18 (Amplified Bible)
2. threat: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
Threats are scary, frightening. During this season, I feel threatened by the economy, I worry about finances. As I get older I worry about how I will survive.
3. I flee by burying my head in the sand. I take the Scarlet O’Hara approach, and worry about it tomorrow, because I just can’t bear it today. I am probably always in the fleeing mode.
4. The New Testaments texts remind us to give it to God, to go ahead and cry if you must but give it to God, He will take care of it and take care of us.
5. Settle down means to quit worrying about it. Worry allows the Devil to get his claws in. Settle down means “Be still and know I am God”.
6. God is telling me to quit worrying. Give it to Him. And if I really do that and quit taking it back, I will get my joy back.
1. NIV, ESV
Is. 30: 15-18
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 meâThe 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
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 (MSG)
This spoke to me when I read the portion “Your strength will come from setting down in complete dependence on me.” I been doing this for 5 years now. Letting a particular thing go and then picking it back up again. It has to do with guarding my heart and the lack there of. Then after I have not guarded my heart and let something/someone dangerous to me well spring in, oh how I suffer from my own stupidity. But this time it was different. I felt like our Father said, “STOP trying and DO it, just do it.” Trying is trying but doing is simply DOING it period.
2.Threat:
: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
; one that threatens
; an indication of something impending
I know what dogs my tracks. I am fully aware it is there. As long as I keep my eyes fixed on God and the path I am fine, but I tend to stop for shiny things, which means I do look to the left and the right. I swear I need blinders or those things horses wear so they can’t see what is beside them. I am learning to stop looking left or right because when I do I immediately lose my peace.
3.Fleeing in my life looks like this, I physically cut myself off from everyone. Phone, email, Facebook you name it. Yes I am in the fleeing mode now. I have a very demanding job so it is easy to escape and works 10 or 12 hour days. I love my work so it is a great place to get lost. When I am in the fleeing mode that is when I push harder into God and stop everything I am doing in my life but the essential things. I spend time in the word and also listening to good sound teaching to show me how I got to where I am. But mostly the Father has been teaching me that a lot of times it’s all a trick by the enemy to make me think something is wrong with me, my looks, my work, my health, that I’m too old, washed up, God is never going to use it. It seems if I entertain even one of those thoughts I am toast and then the barrage of self deprecating thoughts go wild.
4. I believe in Is. the verse is talking about having already fled the scene and what happens when one does flee and not listen to God and that God is waiting to help us if we will accept his grace and mercy. In Peter, I think the verse is referring that the enemy lays waiting to see where he can get a foot hold seeing if we are going to remain strong looked for a cracked spot in our foundation or quite possibly he already knows because he delivered the first blows that cracked it. In James it is a simple instruct, stop running, turn submit that area or thing to God and the enemy will flee. ACtually if you think about it all verses are saying the same thing. STOP, DROP to your knees and roll it all over on to our Father.
5. I took have the message version.
6. Summary: I have tried all weekend to get to this because I knew there was something for me here. This is precisely where I am today. Speaking very broadly, I have allowed several people access into my life that are dangerous to me. The attention was flattering at first and then it went from flattering to just down right creepy. The only way to stop it was to slam the door shut and STOP. Which I have. But all weekend I have thought to myself, I wonder if I was too harsh, I wonder if I went overboard. After reading all these scriptures and also Proverbs 4:23 Above all else guard your heart it is the life spring. I know I made the right decision. I’m not looking to the left or right anymore and investing in some spiritual blinders. Proverbs 4 has kept me on track and assures me that I have guarded my heart, well.
1. Isaiah 30:15-18
Trust the LORD
15 The holy LORD God of Israel
had told all of you,
âI will keep you safe
if you turn back to me
and calm down.
I will make you strong
if you quietly trust me.â
Then you stubbornly 16 said,
âNo! We will safely escape
on speedy horses.â
But those who chase you
will be even faster.
17 As few as five of them,
or even one,
will be enough
to chase a thousand of you.
Finally, all that will be left
will be a few survivors
as lonely as a flag pole
on a barren hill.
The LORD Will Show Mercy
18 The LORD God is waiting
to show how kind he is
and to have pity on you.
The LORD always does right;
he blesses those who trust him.
~ Contemporary English Version (CEV)
I also read: HCSB, GW
2. threat (n.): 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
an indication or warning of probable trouble
The words âan indication or warning of probable troubleâ hit me. I feel threatened by one of the enemyâs most insidious lures: alcoholism in my loved ones. As much as I try to believe that what I see canât be happening â again – deep down, I know. Weâve been down this road before and I hate where it leads. Satan really is a jerk.
3. For me, fleeing has several forms. I find myself looking at the classifieds for places to rent and dreaming of running away to my own little pad where I donât have to deal with anyone elseâs âstuffâ. At other times, fleeing comes in the form of escapist pastimes: too many hours on the computer or watching TV. Anything that distracts me from dealing with the loneliness and fear.
Right now, Iâm not really in fleeing mode â Thank you, Jesus â but the day isnât over yet. Grin. I can be seduced back into it if Iâm not careful.
4. I hear the same message in all three verses: the devil is powerful, but heâs no match for God. When I truly trust that God is with me, and cares about me, I know that everything will turn out the way itâs supposed to. I know that no matter what the devil uses to confuse or threaten or tempt me with, if I stay in the Word and trust, God has me covered.
5. Wow. Youâre singing my song. I say, âSettle down!â to myself several times a day. Whenever my mind starts getting ahead of me, or getting ahead of God, I have to stop and trust. Easy? No. But so necessary for my sanity.
6. Lately Iâve been hearing God say, âTrust me. Be patient. Donât get ahead of me.â Iâve also been hearing him say, âSpeak your truth in love. Don’t throw away your confidence. Stand firm, and don’t let yourself be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.â Iâm looking for balance between these two (seemingly contradictory) messages. On the one hand, I need to settle down and trust that Godâs time is the right time. On the other hand, I hear him telling me to stand up for myself and for those I love and to tell the enemy to back off. Little by little, as I trust, God is giving me the strength – and the words – when I need to speak my truth in love. Heâs also shutting me up when thatâs the right thing. The road is hard sometimes, but knowing that this life is a blip on the screen, compared to where Iâm going, helps me to persevere. With Godâs help, I can put up with anything in this life because I know that Iâll have eternal life. A blip on the screen vs. Eternity. I can do this.
1. NIV – ASB- The Message
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.
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: A declaration or an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injure, etc; in retaliation for , or conditionally upon some action or course; menace, An indication or warning of probable trouble.
I feel most threatened about failing in relationships-I have had a bit of experience here and often wonder if I will ever get it right. I could go on and on but I will leave it at that.
3. Fleeing looks like isolation. I tend to hide behind people pleasing when I feel like I am failing – this leads to being inauthentic – talking “big” and doing little. When I realize what I am doing, I am embarrassed because I know better, so I withdraw. This assignment has made me realize that I am fleeing right now.
4. I Peter 5:8-10 This passage is telling me that the real attacker is the enemy. His intention is to destroy.My part is to resist him (allowing myself to be isolated.) But I am not alone, others are going through the same thing. The Lord will restore me, make me whole.
James 4:7 – This tells me that I need to choose to come under the leadership of the Lord -depend on Him. Resist the devil – actively choose not to believe his lies or be threatened by him and he will flee – I don’t have to.
5. Settle Down – I see and hear those words. Seems like the complete opposite to fleeing. Fleeing makes me think of doing something in a panic, rather frantically. That is just not how the Lord works. He wants me to settle down in dependence on him.
6. I love how these three passages work together. Settle down – depend on the Lord, submit to Him. Submitting to him allows me to be restored, to be made whole – to rest. Submitting to him is also the key to resisting the devil- the threat- then he flees, I don’t.
I really love God-thank you for this assignment. I never thought of myself as fleeing but I have been. I sense the Lord is saying to me, “Stop it! Settle Down, I got you! Let Me handle this.”
Denise, Hernando Beach, FL
1. ESV, The Message,
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;
he rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:15-18, NIV
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. 2. an indication or warning of probable trouble.
I am not feeling threatened by anything right now in my life. Insecure, yes. After attending a church for 10 years, circumstances led to me leaving that church. It has been almost a year, and I have been visiting other churches, yet have not felt led to join any. I am wanting to find a church home, yet I am just so uncertain and apprehensive about it.
3. Am I âfleeingâ from joining a church? Am I âafraidâ to become involved again? I make excuses that other pressing issues are taking up my time: job, older parents, etc.
4. Isaiah is saying to wait on the Lord. Peter and James are telling us to be alert, as the enemy is forever after us. â and to get near to God and wait for His restoration.
5. Settle down, and wait on the Lord! My time is not His time!
6. The Lord is telling me to continue to wait on Him. â to continue to get close to Him. More prayer and quiet time.
1. NIV, KJV, YLT: Isaiah 30:15-18
King James Version (KJV)
15 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.
16 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.
17 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.
18 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
2. Threat (Merriam Webster Dictionary)
a. An expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
b. One that threatens
c. An indication of something impending
I feel threatened in my relationship, but not because of something that is happening. It is more the fear of a repeat of what has happened in the past in a previous bad relationship that threatens my peace & joy in my current relationship.
3. I am most prone to flee by withdrawing and holding in my emotions. Rather than express concerns, I tend to keep my worries to myself. While this is ok to a point (you donât want to be whiny & high maintenance be showing constant insecurity!), I am learning to bring up issues that frighten me. I approach the issue in a non-blaming way, so as to not put my boyfriend on the defensive. It has been difficult to not allow myself to assume the feeling of impending doom and unfaithfulness I was subject to in the past. A lot of prayer goes into keeping myself on track and not allowing satan to use my past to destroy my future.
4. 1 Peter 5:8-10 & James 4:7 reinforce the last verse of Isaiah. They tell us that evil is waiting to pounce at every opportunity and that we are to stand strong and rebuke him, while repenting and opening our hearts to the Lord. The first verses of Isaiah show fear and fleeing in the face of adversity and not believing the Lord has it covered.
5. I most definitely need to hear the words settle down! When my worries get the best of me, I may speak to a dear friend or my very wise grown daughter. They listen to my fears & the reasons behind them, then gently remind me that I need to settle down and let it go, that there is no foundation for what is bothering me. I feel the same response from God when I pray about it.
6. I feel God speaking to me and letting me know Heâs got everything under control, all I need to do is keep my faith in him and let Him guide me through the paths of the unknown; Iâm learning to place the worries on him and focus on what I need to instead.
1- MSG, NKJV, NLT
Isaiah 30:15-18 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.
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-Definition of THREAT
1: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
2: one that threatens
3: an indication of something impending
The one that hits home the most is an indication of something impending. Within the last 6 months I have been uprooted from everything and placed somewhere completely different. Throughout this change I have experienced the threat or overwhelming sense of impending doom or fear. Of course the recent election period has weighed heavily in this feeling, but also impending fear of what is going to happen to my family, my home, my marriage, my life, my joy, my sense of purpose and belonging. All of who I am, in one way or another have been threatened by this change personally and nationally.
———————————————————-
3-fleeing
1: in my life looks like….becoming paralyzed and doing nothing, withdrawn, pity- party
2:yes, I have been in the fleeing mode for almost a year. However, I am beginning to come out of it, beginning about 6 weeks ago. Thank You Jesus!!!!
4-The verses are all saying the same thing basically. It is a perfect example of what I have been doing- the way I have been existing over the last year. When I allowed my worldly circumstances to overwhelm me and take over my thinking I failed to turn to God for the rest and the peace. Instead I became paralyzed and repeated over and over in my mind how mistreated I was and how alone I was and how my life as I had known it was over. Although somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that wasn’t completely true, I allowed the fiery darts of the enemy into my mind and let them take root and I watered them continuously. I felt completely alone, like that tattered banner on the lonely flagpole. I allowed Egypt to take over my mind and my thinking–the what ifs and complete fear and despair. I stopped my quiet time. I stopped everything that would give my mind access to the truth. When I say , I was paralyzed, that is exactly what it felt like. I truly knew what to do but I couldn’t do it. It was either too hard or I didn’t have the energy or “want to”. It was like “why bother”. I have lived in the pit of depression before ( for over 20 years). I know what it feels like and what it takes to get out or stay out. But, I just sat down and let it happen. Why would I do that? But God is faithful! He is patient with me. He waited on me to humble myself… To turn to Him…to return to Him. And when I did, He was faithful! He is walking me out of this pit that I have found myself in. One step at a time. He is reminding me of who He is and who I am in Him. I keep forgetting—I am the daughter of the Most High!!! I praise Him for His love and faithfulness!!! What an awesome God I serve.
5-yes I do need to hear settle down. One of my life verses after coming out if a 20 year pit dwelling experience was….”be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10. When I had finally realized that there was nothing God could do or ask that would be worse than what I had done and was doing in my life, I did settle down and trusted Him with my life. I just have moments of amnesia!!! Like recently, my amnesia took a toll on me but my faithful God has been waiting on me, Holy Spirit has been speaking to my heart and I finally listened! I would like to think that wisdom comes with age, but that isn’t always true.
6- I think I have answered this question throughout questions 4&5. I have never been one to follow the rules. I think they call that rebellion. I don’t do it on purpose necessarily, it just seems to work out that way. đ Over the last couple of weeks the LORD has shown me that I have been acting like Jonah, not trusting Him and fleeing from what He wants from me and for me. I have not “settled down” long enough for Him to reveal to me what this new phase of my life may offer and what divine appointments He may have in store for me. Not that I think He will reveal any or all of it, but that I know He will bring the peace I need to face and walk through whatever He brings my way. I just have to trust Him. I haven’t been willing to do that through these recent changes in my life. I wanted to sulk and wallow in self pity for awhile. I know that it was ridiculous, but it is what it is. I see the futility of it and I am ready to move forward walking with Jesus. Forgive me LORD for my selfishness!!! I want to be your obedient daughter. I love You!
1. I read the verse in ESV, The Message and NIV.
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:
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.
I feel threatened by two things in this season: spiritual attack (physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually) and I feel threatened by the possibility that God will ask us to stay in Africa forever.
3. I flee by thinking about the future and what it (I hope) has to hold. I don’t think I’m trying to flee – I’m trying to endure what I feel He has called us to right now. I’m not always happy about it, but I’m trying to endure in obedience.
4. I hear in all of these passages that God has plans for us .. that He’s not done with us .. that what we all need is complete dependence on Him.
5. When I hear the words ‘settle down!’ I think ‘I’d love to! But the Lord has called my husband and I to South Sudan .. where we aren’t able to plant roots .. but must be.’ Travel is our life, with no particular home to go to. I’d love to settle down!
6. What the Lord is telling me through this exercise is that I need to get back to a point with Him where I actually believe in mind, body and soul that He does indeed have plans for me .. that He doesn’t like to see me suffer in this mission He’s called us to .. that as much as I struggle with what He’s asked of us, He is still good.
1. NIV, MSG, AMP (below)
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 intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage : one that threatens : an indication of something impending
3. Fleeing looks like running away, burying my head in the sand. Sometimes, well often, I actually use humor to flee (just realized). Iâm funny. So, when I donât want to feel or hurt or deal â I make jokes and laugh. HmmmmmâŚ..
I donât think Iâm in fleeing mode. Itâs interesting, my husband of 28 years decided in August, that he didnât want to be married anymore. I would have loved to flee but I couldnât. I had a job, I had children (grown) that were watching me, I had to continue breathing and just simply moving â hardest thing I ever did. Iâm 48 and have had quite the life, I knew enough to know that when the grief would overtake me, I needed to feel it. So I would sob, hold on to God and say to myself, âThis is only pain, itâs not going to kill me â If I donât feel it now and let it out, itâll be backâ. I also knew to get good, Godly counseling. So, no currently I am NOT fleeing â done enough of that in my past â it really gets me nowhere.
4. My goodness, how many times have I been like the person in Isaiah??? Peter and James both write to stand, stay firm, self-controlled, alert. But we are NOT alone, thatâs the thing. I really believe the enemy fools us by having us think we are all alone and we forget the rest of the promise â GOD IS WITH US, HE FIGHTS FOR US. The reason I chose the amplified bible is because it shows us everything God wants for us. Itâs hard â I get it. But I can honestly say, these last 6 months I have lived out the promise â never really did it in my life before. I came to the end of my rope and there was NO WHERE to go but God and then the answerâŚâŚBUT GODâŚ..
5. Yep, settle down â Iâm learning. Itâs not easy is it? I am so used to doing and fixing and you know what, thereâs nothing I can do or fix here â those decisions were made for me, not by me. So, yep, settle down â Godâs got this â I need to hear that.
6. You know, I suddenly realized that I flee with humor and that is actually quite interesting. Iâve heard many tell me I hide behind my humor and now I get it. I bury my face in the sand because I donât want to deal with stuff.
Also, these last 6 months when I have been so overcome with grief, pain down to my toes, I have HAD to depend on God and His people, itâs been humbling and so very difficult. But on those early days when I would wake up and think, âThere is no way Iâm gonna make it through this day.â I would get home and be surprised that I made it. So, Iâd think I might make another day â looking back I realize that was God saying, âI GOT THIS â SETTLE DOWNâ.
Lest you think I walk in Godâs âsettlementâ all the time â NOPE but Iâm learning itâs the best place to be ď.
1. Isaiah 30:15-18 — I looked up NIV, YLT and The Message.
Young’s Literal Translation (YLT):
15 For thus said the Lord Jehovah, The Holy One of Israel: `In returning and rest ye are saved, In keeping quiet and in confidence is your might, And ye have not been willing.
16 And ye say, No, for on a horse we flee? Therefore ye flee, And on the swift we ride! Therefore swift are your pursuers.
17 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.
18 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: “a suggestion that something unpleasant or violent will happen, especially if a particular action or order is not followed”
This struck me as something that has plagued me most all of my life. Especially when life is ‘good’ I’m waiting for the next shoe to fall. Living/thinking this way keeps me from experiencing the full freedom and joy that is mine through Christ Jesus. And further, if something bad does happen, it likely will be because I did or didn’t do something, like I didn’t pray enough or pray the right thing, I was inconsistent in my quiet time, etc. In other words, I live in fear that unpleasant things will happen because I’m not good enough and God is really not happy with me.
In this current season, I feel threatened by the dismal economic situation in America. My husband has worked hard and saved money and we have lived modestly all our married lives so that we can enjoy a comfortable retirement, have a nice home, travel, bless others through our giving, etc. In addition to our savings, my father-in-law recently passed away and my husband received an inheritance. Instead of being thankful and joyfully planning ahead, I am worried that something bad will happen before my husband retires in 5 years, and the things we’ve waited all these years to have and to do will not be possible.
3. “Fleeing” all these years from all sorts of scenarios I dread and fear have taken a toll on my physical body. I flee by over-eating. I flee by being rebellious and not doing the things I know I should do, like exercise and healthy eating. As a result, over the years I have continually put on weight to the point that I am now 50 pounds overweight. And yes, I am in fleeing mode right now.
4. Wow. Well, there’s my answer! I especially was struck by the I Peter passage in The Message: “Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times.” “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.” And also James 4:7 in The Message: “So let God work His will in you. Yell a loud NO to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet ‘yes’ to God and He’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. GET SERIOUS, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.”
Wow. I’m someone who longs to know what is the right thing to do, and right there in that James passage, God has given me quite a list. I can’t wait to finish this assignment so I can get started! đ
5. Yes, of course, I need to settle down! Because taking refuge under God’s mighty right hand means I have nothing to worry about, no matter what comes. Living in a state of fear and worry, even though I think no one else notices, does have an effect on my actions and attitudes. It does affect my testimony. It does rob me of joy and peace, and it certainly makes me a pain in my husband’s butt! My focus has been shifted from Christ-centered to money-centered. I am embarrassed to say that most mornings I will look up the bank account balances before looking at God’s Word. I spend more time working on the budget and balancing the checking account than I do seeking God. It’s time to SETTLE DOWN, get a grip already! Time to reorder my thoughts and my priorities and my daily routine. Time to RESIST THE DEVIL and DRAW NEAR TO GOD!!! Time to get back to trusting God.
6. Nothing new, really. It’s just getting back to the basics of being self-controlled, trusting God, resisting the devil, getting on my knees before God as many times as I need to confess fear and doubt and love of money and material things and worldly comforts. It’s about settling down and focusing my thoughts on Christ first and ordering everything else in life after that.
Thank you, Beth. This has been a valuable exercise in helping me to name my sin, to refocus and reorder my thoughts and how I spend my time.
Thank You, LORD, for Your Word that is Truth and Life to me! I want to live and walk in Truth, for Your great glory! “I will not fear, for You are with me…”
1. HCSB, The Message, NET
Isaiah 30:15-18
New English Translation (NET)
15
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.
16
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.
17
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
The Lord Will Not Abandon His People
18
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.
2. threat- an expression of intention to hurt, destroy, punish, etc, An indication of, or a source of imminent danger or harm, etc.
Probably the most honest âthreatâ I feel isnât even seasonally specific. Because I have experience much pain in the past (a divorce due to husbandâs infidelity and the loss of my nieces and nephew in a car accident), I always seem to feel the threat of hurt or pain that life on planet earth can bring. It is like a constant and unwanted companion that I cannot seem to shake. Not that I believe God does not want to protect me, but that pain and loss are a part of this life and sometimes He requires us to walk through more than we believed we could live through.
3. Fleeing is probably most easily seen in my controlling personality. I try to control people, places and things so no harm will come. My daughters and husband bear the brunt of my obsessive efforts to control. How suffocating, right?! And really, how ridiculous to think I am in control anyway.
4. Both passages tell me to resist the devil (âbe strong in my faithâ) and he will
flee. That when I submit to God, He will Himself ârestore, confirm, strengthen and establish me.â So my submission looks like trust. Big issue for me.
5. YES I need to âsettle down!â I wear myself out with anxious thoughts and
never find peace. I need to settle down and know God is FOR me, not
allowing the enemyâs thoughts to burden me with fear. Time to wait on Him
in faith and be blessed as stated in Isaiah passage
6. I believe God is asking me to trust Him completely. That would be what submission to Him will look like. Even though I know He loves me unconditionally and wants me to truly believe He âhas my back,â I have struggled in His arms for far too long. The idea of God sitting on His throne âready to have compassion on me brings me great joy and peace. Itâs time I take hold of His compassion and blessings and walk as one whose God IS to be trusted. Thanks for bringing me this truth!
1. Read NIV and NLT
Is 30:15-18 MSG
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 (dictionary.com): a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment or injury
My job has me working with some mean spirited people and I often feel threatened. In the last 2 weeks I can remember crying out, But I did nothing wrongâŚand then of course I did feel so insecure. I needed to catch my breath, regroupâŚINTO the Lord!
3. Fleeing for me comes in spurts; yes, when I feel most vulnerable. While this may be so obvious to some, it is revelational to me as I type it. âStand firmâ. When I want to flee I need to turn to God the most. I know this in my headâŚnot always done in the flesh.
4. James is one line; 1Peter is 3 lines and the Isaiah passage is quite long. But what they all have in COMMON is this: James tells us we must humble ourselves before God and the devil WILL flee. Isaiah, too, tells us how God waits to be gracious; we must come to Him and he will show his mercy to us. First Peter, as well, says Godâs kindness will restore us after suffering. They all say that we must come to God and HE WILL show us mercy and grace.
5. âYour strength will come from settling down in COMPLETE dependence on meâŚ.Heâs WAITING around to be gracious to you.â from Is 30 MSG I believed when I read this assignment, God was getting word to meâŚyou see, if you wonât rest in me on your ownâŚyou will for Miss Beth!…this h.w. was exactly what I neededâŚas God always knowsâŚthat word âwaitingâ jumps off the page to meâŚhow can God possibly wait for the likes of me?…but he does!
6. I believe I spoke to this in #5âŚ.. âStop your silly efforts to save yourselves.â ~Is MSGâŚthatâs itâŚMY efforts are sillyâŚ.useless.
Thank you, Beth! You are an awesome mentor!! xo
1. NKJV, AMP, NIV: 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. You said, âNo, we will flee on horses. âTherefore you will flee! You said, âWe will ride off on swift horses.â Therefore your pursuers will be swift! 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 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:
a. an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
b. one that threatens
c. an indication of something impending
I am experiencing a physical problem that limits my mobility and ability to serve. My whole sense of who I am has been threatened â because Iâm associating my identity with what I can do/accomplish instead of in the person of Jesus Christ. Oh thank YOU, God for revealing this to me â I SO do not like the situation, but am so grateful for this reminder that my sole purpose is to hunger and thirst after You!
3. To me, âfleeâ means what I do when confronted with something I donât want to look at. I flee by distractions and food. I can see clear evidence of both in my life right now. How silly, even ridiculous, it seems that when offered the opportunity to chase after the Creator of the Universe, or sit with the TV and a cookie â that I choose the second option⌠Please God, help me to choose You. One moment at a time today â let me just choose You!
4. 1 Peter 5:8-10, âBe sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.â and James 4:7, â7Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.â The Isaiah verse talks about God waiting for me to turn my heart back to Him, and the Peter and James verses talk about how I do that â be sober, watchful, see Satan for who he is, submit to God â and then I can see the promise of âYet 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!â God is truly gracious and merciful!
5. I need the reminder that itâs not what I DO that counts, but the power of the living Christ in me that matters. His work and will, not mine!
6. I have tears rolling down my face as I utterly abandon myself to Him â again. Knowing that I will likely need to abandon myself again tomorrow â and that He remains faithful despite my best efforts. I SO needed this today!
I don’t have Word on my computer, unfortunately. I did the homework and would love to share so I wondered if I could just type my answers…I figure you wanted Word format attachments because just typing here would be too long. My assignment is about six handwritten pages so I understand if there just isn’t room.
It was an amazing lesson and one God wanted me to complete. He taught me a lot.
Thanks for the assignment. It was very meaningful.
Can’t wait to read the other comments!
Lots of prayers that you and all attending and those who will view the study were/are blessed during the filming and the study in Dallas-
I have held to the verses on this post recently during the most difficult years of my life – Your homework brought me back to these amazing teachings and promises from our God. So glad you responded to God’s nudge for us… Oh, thank you Beth for this post!!!!
1.KJV,Message, NLT
MESSAGE “ONLY in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. Bus 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 hill or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop. 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- Amen and Amen and Amen
2. Threat, Impending danger and harm- as truth has surfaced I am very aware of the threat of more danger and harm if I do not “wake up” face my personal issues/relationships and responsibilities, be brave enough to allow God to knock down the walls of my personal prison and allow God to transform me into my authentic self, rather than the one who has developed over 60 decades trying to “Get my help from Egypt” I think Egypt has primarily been ME.
3. Yes, In fact I have a well thought out “FLEE” planned for next week. Five weeks away from the “nightmare” of my present life hopefully to provide space in a healthy place for refreshment and “rebooting”. I even plan to have my “ancient neck” lifted during the “flee”. I will reframe my intentions and use this “Flee” as a quiet retreat to be with our Lord and attempt to open my heart to be with Jesus and to focus on the opportunity as stated in John 14:26- “allow the HS to teach me all things” and to remember “ONLY in returning to me and resting IN ME will you be saved and in QUIETNESS will provide my strength”
4. WEll well well- My memory verse on the lst of Feb. may be versessssss
5. “Settle DOWN” ONLY in returning to me and resting IN ME will you be saved and in QUIETNESS will be your strength- not the never ending “trying to knock down the walls in my own strength, expecting God to be one of my “jack hammer” assistants
6. I like the idea: “YELL a loud NO to the devil and watch him scamper” when I am tempted to fix, over work or soothe myself with food or other “sins” to try and rescue myself and others from the real “threats” at hand- John 14:26 “But the counselor, the HS, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” NIV 84
God Bless us all on this journey. PS During my “nightmare” God has shown up at just the right time with a couple of unexpected miracles which have allowed me to survive for the “time being”. I resonate with the children of God in the wilderness, I often act just like them after a profound miracle- I hit a “Red Sea” and I think God has left me to perish -XO
#1 NIV MSG NLT
God, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel: “Your 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 you’ve been unwilling to do. You’ve said, ‘Nothing doing! We’ll rush off on horseback!’ You’ll rush off all right! Just not far enough! You’ve said, ‘We’ll ride off on fast horses!’ Do you think your pursuers ride old nags? Think again: A thousand of you will scatter before one attacker. Before a mere five you’ll all run off. There’ll be nothing left of you – a flagpole on a hill with no flag, a signpost on a roadside with the sign torn off.” But God’s not finished. He’s waiting around to be gracious to you. He’s gathering strength to show mercy to you. God takes the time to do everything right – everything. Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones. MSG
#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.
Satan seems to continually want to remind me of past failures. In terms of years, I have pretty much reached “middle age”. I think it’s probably normal to look back and assess your life. But, I feel under attack from Satan. He does not want me to look towards the future with a positive outlook. He wants me to be weighed down with all of the ways that my life hasn’t worked out the way that I might have thought. And, I honestly am extremely blessed. Satan does not want me focused on my blessings but on my shortcomings, my disappointments, my failures.
#3 I struggle with fear. There are times I absolutely struggle with fleeing from those things that cause fear. I have an upcoming event that could definitely evoke the sense of fleeing. We have a family member getting married in the Dallas area. My husband cannot attend because of a work commitment. This means that I will need to drive and be solely responsible for my elderly Mom and my son. I really want to be at the wedding. There are aspects of the trip though that just terrify me. This is one of those times where it would be tempting to take the easy way out. But I know in my heart that God wants me to trust Him – choose faith over fear (and fleeing).
#4 The verses in 1 Peter and in James speak directly to my threats right now in #2 above and what I feel the need to flee from in #3 above. I love the last part of James 4:7 (NIV) – “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” I want him to be the one that flees – running for his life! If you consider all three texts, it is clear that submission to God and resisting Satan should be my focus.
#5 Yes, I do need to settle down – my heart, my mind, my thoughts, my actions. There are some major areas of my life that are unsettled right now. I need to keep my focus on the Lord and rest in His wisdom, His guidance, and His timing. There are times when it seems I don’t turn to God when I should as if I’m doing Him a favor – allowing Him to focus on those who have bigger problems or issues. I put God in a box based upon my very human limitations. I need to stop trying to rely on my own wisdom and trying to keep in control. I need to fully submit to the Lord – settle down and fully depend on Him.
#6 The timing of this “assignment” was perfect. I really need a fresh look at these verses and the reminder that I need to turn all of my cares and concerns over to God. All of them – including those things that I might feel like I can take care of in my own power and ability. And, I need to take every thought captive that is not from the Lord. I need to rebuke Satan when he tries to attack me.
1. I looked at NLT, New King James and NIV.
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!
(NIV â UK version)
2.Threat â (OED) 1. âA declaration of an intention to punish or hurtâ. 2. âAn indication of something undesirable coming (the threat of war)â. 3. âA person or thing as a likely cause of harmâ.
I am surrounded by people who do not yet know the Lord and during this present time I feel a burden to pray for them more than ever before. At times this burden can slide into a sense of âthreatâ that it is all in vain and that they are destined for destruction â a complete lie, for I know that God does not want anyone to perish â yet I really need to fight this fear and trust in His unfailing love.
3.âFleeingâ for me most often means going into panic mode in my mind and âfleeingâ to fear, rather than resting and trusting.
4.a) The call to resist the enemy and stand firm in the faith (1 Peter 5 v 9) adds a new dimension â standing firm and being alert. It speaks to me of the rest of God involving being sober minded and guarding my heart, and the danger of passivity.
b) James 4v7: Submission to God means that all âfleeingâ is done by the enemy â brilliant!
5.Yes, this year the Lord has guided me to guard my heart like never before and to really be careful about how Iâm spending my time. âSettling downâ for me involves time in His presence, praying, worshipping and reading the Word, and being accountable to trusted friends.
6. Isaiah 30v15 is dear to me since it was a verse prayed over me during a very painful season last year where the enemy convinced me that I had sinned and failed too much for God to ever forgive me. I have never known anything like it; it was pure torment. As I repented completely, and surrendered my life entirely to Him, God has been leading me through a process of restoration and I can now say that I know Him and love Him like never before. We are living in days where it really matters that we know who we are in Christ – thank you, Beth, for your obedience and continued encouragement us to stay plugged into the Word and accountable.
1. Isaiah 30:15-18 NIV, NKJV, MSG
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.
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. indication of impending danger or harm
My concerns over an over-stressed husband who is vulnerable to Satan’s threats
3. running from the difficult conversations I should have with my husband re: my concerns for him
4. The Isaiah text is more waiting on God versus 1 Peter and James are more the “stand up and fight” WITH God against the devil and the evils of this world. There’s a time and place for both.
5. Yes, need to trust and rely on God to help me and help my husband.
6. Need to learn to lean on God and take refuge in Him, especially during difficult times and times when I am ill.
1. NKJV, NIV, HCSB
HCSB –
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.
17 One thousand will flee at the threat of one,
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,
for the Lord is a just God.
All who wait patiently for Him are happy.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright Š 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
2. Threat: An expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
: an indication of something impending
3. Fleeing : to hurry toward a place of security. This is the definition that hits home for me. Can anyone say comfort zone ! I really have to push to leave my comfort zone, but I always flee back to it whether I should or not.
4. The words that popped out at me in 1Peter 5:8-10 were: be serious, be alert, resist the evolution one and be firm in the faith. If I do these things the God of ALL Grace will restore, establish, strengthen and support me.
What I love in James 4:7 is that if I submit to God and resist the devil. ….the devil will flee! I like the idea of the devil fleeing more than me fleeing.
1.) NIV
MSG
ESV
For thus said the Lord God , the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling, and you said, “No! We will flee upon horses”; therefore you shall flee away; and, “We will ride upon swift steeds”; therefore your pursuers shall be swift. A thousand shall flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you shall flee, till you are left like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain, like a signal on a hill. Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. (Isaiah 30:15-18 ESV)
*Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
(WOW!! )
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
*an indication of probable trouble-speaks loudestÂ
*my security feels threatened. Financially, because I’ve been off work after having a baby and surgery. Emotionally, because of the tension between my husband and me regarding the finances and kids.
3.) Fleeing:
For me, fleeing looks like avoidance or denial. Not wanting to ‘deal’ with the problem. There is no ‘fleeing’ this season of my life. Ultimately it’s a matter of trust. I am not trusting The Lord with my problems the way I should!
4.) compare and contrast:
The Isaiah verse says repent and rest, and if you flee from God, He will wait for you to show you His mercy. Quietness and trust is your strength.
The 1 Peter verse says resist the devil. Be firm in your faith, we will suffer but God Himself will restore and strengthen us.
The James verse says submit to God and the devil is the one who will be fleeing.
5.) Settle down?
I need to hear this often. Loud and clear! I don’t use these words but I often stop myself and say out loud ‘where is your focus?’
6.) Personal Discernment:
God is definitely speaking to me through this! The devil has been doing a number on me for the past few months! He is whispering his lies, and I’ve been listening. From this moment, I choose to repent and rest in The Lord and His promises!! In quietness and trust I will welcome the Lord’s strength! I can’t wait to see what He has planned for me and my family! Take that devil! Flee from me!!
1) NCV, NLT, NIV
  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. If you will be calm and trust me, you will be strong.â But you donât want to do that. You say, âNo, we need horses to run away on.â So you will run away on horses. You say, âWe will ride away on fast horses.â So those who chase you will be fast. One enemy will make threats, and a thousand of your men will run away. Five enemies will make threats, and all of you will run from them. You will be left alone like a flagpole on a hilltop, like a banner on a hill. The L ord  wants to show his mercy to you. He wants to rise and comfort you. The L ord  is a fair God, and everyone who waits for his help will be happy. (Isaiah 30:15-18 NCV)
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.
 The new laws the president is threatening to put into place is very scary for me.  In this season of my life I can’t think of anything more than my little babies living in fear because of the crazy things happening around them. I can only keep them close and keep them focused on our future home in heaven. Â
3) fleeing for me is keeping away from social media. We don’t have TV so I can easily stay away from the news, but Facebook, email, etc can be very depressing and pull you down. Right now I am not at a point of fleeing.Â
4) all 3 verses want us to stand strong in our faith, surround ourselves with Christians who will lift us up and support us. Run from the devil and his evil works and God will protect us.Â
5) yes I do need to settle down, regardless of what happens with our government we can feel safe knowing this is all according to Gods plan and he will protect us if he remain faithful to him.
6) we can’t go on living as if nothing bad may happen, we have to protect ourselves and prepare for the days to come. We can also live our lives so everyone around us can see that God is the true ruler and is in charge of all things big and small. So as long as I am living according to his will for us we have nothing to flee from.
Melissa, Boston MA
NIV, NLT, 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: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury or damage; an indication of something impending
3. Fleeing looks like scrambling to find solutions to fix problems- people problems, relational problems, money problems, emotional problems, myself in a frenetic way. It also can result in isolation, hiding, pretending everything is fine when it isn’t- especially when my methods have failed (repeatedly).
4. I think I have a lifetime of fleeing (bleh).
5. I love the similaries in these verses:
-my position is to submit to God, stand firm (face things, don’t flee) resist the devil (and all the temptations- this is hard; in my flesh fleeing is “safer” and brings a quick fix feeling of FALSE security)
-God is the one who makes me able to stand, who restores me! Makes me strong, firm, steadfast (Praise His name!)
6. YES! I need to hear the words settle down right now. For so many reason that I won’t write here đ
Thank you Beth for this homework assignment- it was a God ordained assignment for me. And yes, I am praying for you and the lovely ladies at LPM!
Britt. Burlington, NC
1. Isaiah 30: 15-18 NIV84, GNB, 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 horsesâ therefore you will escape! And, âWe will ride on fast horsesâ- but those who pursue you will be faster. 17 One thousand [will flee] at the threat of one, 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. 18 Therefore the Lord is waiting to show you mercy, and is rising up to show you compassion, for the Lord is a just God. All who wait patiently for Him are happy.
2. Threat-an expression of intention to hurt, destroy, punish, etc as in retaliation or intimidation. An indication of imminent danger, harm, evil, etc. I notice that this definition includes strong negative words. I feel most threatened by my âto-doâ list. I feel very overwhelmed with all the things I am responsible for and I feel like it is impossible to complete it all with the time that I have.
3. My Fleeing= getting overly stressed and having a heavy burden from the things I feel I need to do and allowing that to get in the way of what God tells me to focus on. Currently, I believe I am not fleeing as quickly as I have in the past, but it is still a struggle for me.
4. It gives me instruction and encouragement to stay firm in my faith in God and to resist the devil, whereas the other describes a bad behavior. The others give us a goal of how we should be.
5. & 6. Yes! I needed this! Thank you, Beth, for following Godâs leading on this scripture! This gave me a big reminder to be careful with my âto-doâ lists and not to let them take over my life. I have to keep God first and make sure Iâm giving Him plenty of my time. My to-do list is not as important as I make it out to be in my mind. Also, the sermon my pastor gave today, complemented this topic perfectly! I think God is trying to tell me something!!
Can I pick a few different versions for different verses that touched me?
1. CEV 15 The holy LORD God of Israel had told all of you, “I will keep you safe if you turn back to me and calm down. I will make you strong if you quietly trust me.” Then you stubbornly 16said, MSG 16-17a ‘Nothing doing! We’ll rush off on horseback!’ You’ll rush off, all right! Just not far enough! You’ve said, ‘We’ll ride off on fast horses!’ Do you think your pursuers ride old nags? Think again: A thousand of you will scatter before one attacker. Before a mere five you’ll all run off. CEV 17b Finally, all that will be left will be a few survivors as lonely as a flag pole on a barren hill. NIV 18a Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. CEV 18b The LORD always does right; He blesses those who trust Him.
2. threat- n. 1. An expression of an intention to inflict pain, injury, evil or punishment. 2. An indication of impending danger or harm. 3. One that is regarded a possible danger, a menace.
This makes me feel frightened. I personally feel most threatened by money, not having enough, running out or having too much and not depending on God.
3. Fleeing looks like quickly running away in the opposite direction. I’m most prone to flee when evil is around -bad talk, drugs, etc. Times when I feel fear or threatened. No, I’m not in “fleeing mode” now. I’m running to -desparately needing God and feeling I’m not getting enough of or close enough to Him.
4. Comparing these mentioned verses: seeking God = safety, security. Contrasting: Following God is safety for life, not following Him therefore following the devil is a threat to life.
5. I loved those words, SETTLE DOWN shared because I tend to get all in a ta-do when i feel threatened.
6.Insight gained- Keeping my thoughts focused on Truth that Jesus is beside me at each and every moment even when I dont choose to acknowledge the Truth. Therefore, I need not feel threatened in any circumstance, but can choose to feel the warmth and security of His Presence. I hear God telling me to focus on above not here below.
Thank you Beth. I needed this little assignment today.
1. KJV, NET, NASB
Isaiah 30:15-18 NET
“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.”
2. Threat-An expression of an intention to inflict pain, injury, evil, or punishment. I feel most threatened by others who are insecure themselves and are in a difficult place right now. The path we are traveling together is uncomfortable because itâs new and uncertain. It requires trust in God that we are doing the right thing. Any mistake I make will be thrown up to me and cause others to doubt my leadership.
3. When I flee I hide. I give in and donât fight for what is right. I will avoid a confrontation and give up. Right now I feel like standing up for the path that I believe is right, but itâs early yet!
4. Donât allow the Devil to frighten you from the path God has chosen for you. If we trust in the Lord and not ourselves and wait patiently for His time, he will strengthen, restore, and establish us.
5. I am worried about the battle ahead of me. Those that will oppose me are hurting and want to hurt others too.
6. I am on the right path. The one God has laid out for me. I donât need to worry about those who stand opposed to me. He will fight the battles for me. If I trust in Him, he will guide me and strengthen me. I just need to pray and keep going. Maybe, I can help the people who are causing me trouble.
1. Read Isaiah 30:15-18 in 3 different translations. I read NCV, MSG and AMP. The NCV spoke the greatest to me.
2. Threat: In the dictionary read “a declaration or an intention of determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc. in retaliation for or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace.
How do I feel most threatened in this season? I guess in my time management and trying to control my life. Time management is always a challenge for my family during the school semesters. But when things get hard I tend to bite the bullet and control my life/time/family even my quiet times.
3. What does fleeing look like for me? Again trying to control my life and getting so consumed in anything else but the painful things.
I actually feel like I’m returning back to life from a fleeing moment. I was just processing last night with a friend, it feels like the wool has been pulled back from my eyes. Life is returning.
4. Compare Isaiah 30:15-18 and 1 Peter 5:8-10 > don’t flee though you’re tempted to! The enemy is out to devour you. The key to not fleeing is standing strong in your faith. God will keep you from falling.
Isaiah 30:15-18 and James 4:7 > Give yourself to God. Remember His promise if we come back to Him, stay calm and trust Him.
5. In the Message version of Isaiah 30:15-18 he uses the words “Settle down”. Do I need to hear those words? I think those words are a great reminder. I think to this new opportunity of photography. I could not have conjured that up if I tried. I can’t figure out my life by myself. Jesus will do it for me and help me by placing the perfect community around me.
6. This was just such a kind reminder that it’s ok if I don’t have everything figured out, or a plan for the next 20 steps in life. God has me in His grip. He will process any and all hurts and failures with me, slowly, kindly. And even more than that. He won’t let me fall. And even more then THAT He is going to bless me on top of it all. And create a passion stronger than I knew for something I love to do that helps me connect with Him and ushers me in to coming alive.
1.ESV, NIV84, MSG, NCV
MSG
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.
NCV
âIf you come back to me and trust me, you will be saved.
If you will be calm and trust me, you will be strong.â
âŚThe LORD wants to show his mercy to you.
He wants to rise and comfort you.
The LORD is a fair God,
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/an indication or warning or probable trouble/a person or thing that threatens
In this season, I have such a vacuum in my heart/feel so out of my element that the threat is how I will fill it or gain a sense of stability: exercise, entertainment to numb it, holding onto/trying to control relationships, anything I can do to feel a sense of control or feel like Iâm on stable ground. Iâm worried that things will never feel right and that this will never feel like home. Iâve also felt like Iâve been grasping at straws with my relationship with God, which makes the instability/insecurity that much worse.
3.I flee by not thinking about things/dealing with them and filling the void with mindless activity that is immediate and gives instant satisfaction: exercise, entertainment, overeating, spending money, and avoid spending time with God, listening to godly teaching, being alone and quiet. I have definitely been in fleeing mode for the last couple of months, but I am starting to feel that quiet in my soul again.
4.1 Peter 5:8-10 says that we have to be alert and on the lookout for threats – the devil is constantly looking for an in with us. We do have to resist him and stand firm â not fleeing but standing â but God Himself will make us strong, firm, and steadfast.
James 4:7 says submission to God comes first. We are to resist the devil and he will flee from us. Again, this imagery sounds more like standing strong than running away.
5.I do need to hear the words settle down, because I have felt over the past couple of days that all my stirring up does is make me anxious and dredge up all the things that make me anxious/feel fearful. By releasing it all to God and submitting to Him, thatâs when I feel at peace.
6.God â I think this exercise ties into everything You have been teaching me, which is I canât fix myself. No amount of working can change the things in my heart that have to be different. I donât live for You, I live in You. My need for perfection in every area of my life keeps me from missing the grace that could be mine by recognizing my inadequacies and offering them up to You. By submitting myself to You and releasing control over every area of my life â time, energy, resources, relationships, finances â You fill me up and make me free.
Isaiah 30:15-18…toughie, so NIV, ASV, HCSB, NASB, ESV, NLT, Message, Jewish Bible, but:
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” def’n: a statement of an intention to inflict pain, injury, damage or other hostile action on someone in retribution for something done or not. B.) A menace of bodily harm, such as may restrain a person’s freedom of action!!!!!!!! Having walked recently through a heavy season – within a church and attack on my love for Christ, attack on the very Word of God and attack on what I and others believe, am asking He completely heal that area, restore and bless – for His glory….Whether it is within my own panic button – release of control to Him who has all things under His control. And I see how He has furthered my faith in love and depth when on the stand…yet I do panic as I was indeed up against the pit of hell…the lion’s breath was hot on my cheek – yet push back, Laurie… “Settle down” my heart – for He hems me in behind and before and does work all things together for good…
3. “Fleeing” – the action is taken in the ‘ing’ form – as my heart panics and races past what if to it already did…the worst did happen and I am still here, loving Him an giving him praise!!! May I not run away – mentally – as He makes a way in the desert… He is the situation – I must not run from Him ! And that latter def’n of threat being restraining of person’s freedom or action – exactly, God. If I choose to flee I am not free to have perfect peace and rest in You, dear God. Forgive me, Saviour!!
4. Withstand the devil… Be firm in faith – rooted and not uprooted!! Christ Himself will establish/strengthen/restore/settle. Amen. Then other verse: submit to God (looked up def’n of submit again – to accept; to yield to the will of God. Wow. I prayed through the war not my will but yours but now see need to continue that fervently.)
5. “Settle down” – already mentioned settling my heart…but settle my post-war thoughts…keep my mind and heart steadfast in/on Him. Heart rate came down just typing that.
6. Any insight – huge. Will chew this over in praise and thanksgiving – and may I always be ever learning…
1. The 3 translations for Isaiah 30:15-18: NLT, MSG, and NET.
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.
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: an expression of an intent to do harm; an indication of something impending. For me, the threat I continually am handing to my Father is the fear of aging—all that comes with that. While I realize that God is my Creator, Sustainer, Peace, Etc., I find myself going to Him often with things that can be traced to this bottom line. I am so grateful to identify it by name. I find myself threatened by the unknown; the MSG phrase Do you think your pursuers ride old nags? stands out to me—the enemy is not cautious, timid, or in any way afraid to attack me on this. Love the fact that God takes time to do everything right—everything.
3. Fleeing for me is bringing those thoughts promptly to my Father; He knows me best; He made me; and He certainly knows my need of Him. The ESV closes I Peter 5:8-10 best for me: âŚafter 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.
As I fully grasp and âunpackâ that thought, the enemy has to flee. I am hanging on to my Father:)
1. Read Isaiah 30:15-18 in NLT, NIV, KJV
Isaiah 30:15-18
King James Version (KJV)
15 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.
16 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.
17 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.
18 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.
2. Threat. I feel the threat of Godâs anger if I do not return to him. Been reading Jeremiah and it sounds like lots of warnings. Always get scared when I read Godâs word and its all impending doom and judgment. I feel the threat of losing my family, husband and daughter as we are embarking in this physical separation for the next five weeks. I feel the threat of financial destitution during this period.
3. Fleeing to me looks like leaving a situation physically and shutting down all communication. I am in flee mode at the moment as I am staying with my dad on days I am not with our daughter. I am literally in my old room with two bibles open and searching for meaning in Godâs word. I flee to God and usually try to shut out the world.
4. The Isaiah Text and 1 Peter 5:8-10 is the opposite of fleeing. He directs us to stand firm and basically not flee for God rewards those who do their part and suffer for a while and then he restores, strengthens and supports us. In James 4:7, we resist and it is the devil who flees, not Godâs children. We need to stand firm.
5. Yes I need to hear the words settle down as my emotions of financial insecurity are not real. I need to trust in the Lord and settle down and focus on doing work and finding full time employment.
6. Fleeing is easy but standing still in suffering requires perseverance that is supernatural and requires me to fully trust and depend on my Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord Jesus that you never fled from anything or any danger. You remained steadfast in obedience to our heavenly Father. Help me Lord to stand firm in faith and although I will suffer a little while, I know you will restore me, my family and give us a steadfast spirit to remain in love and obedience to you.
1. NASB, NIV, MSG
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. An expression of an intention to inflict pain, injury, evil, or punishment on a person or thing. An indication of impending danger or harm. A person thing, or idea regarded as a possible danger; a menace.
I am in a season of helping my aging parents through a complicated lawsuit. My dadâs health is tentative and if he lives through 2013 it will be by the grace of God. My mother is completely consumed by his health care needs. This leaves me to deal with attorneys and a vindictive creditor on their behalf as well as taking responsibility for hard decisions. Each time I open my e-mail and there is another update or request my stomach balls up and the stress hormones kick in.
3. Although I have often fantasized about getting into my car and driving away from it all, I flee by distracting myself â reading, watching junk TV, talk radio, business â NOISE, literal and non-literal. I am not in a fleeing mode right now. God has used this situation to grow me, stretch me and mature me. He has shown me how strong He is in my weakness. Psalm 112:7-8 (NET )7 He does not fear bad news. He is confident; he trusts in the LORD.8 His resolve is firm; he will not succumb to fear before he looks in triumph on his enemies.
4. Settle down and wait on God (submit to Him), be on the alert resisting the devil, and God will bring to fruition the great plans He has for you.
5. I absolutely love the version of Isaiah 30:15-19 in The Message! It brought a smile to my face and I had to share it aloud with my husband. Yes, I definitely need to settle down and quit stressing over my efforts to âfix the worldâ! It is not my world to fix, it is my holy Lordâs world and He can do a much better job of fixing it than I can.
6. Our Pastorâs wife spoke this morning in church about the cycles of worry/anxiety being one of our greatest roadblocks to a real life of joy. My church notes include the challenge for myself to have a settled conviction about God â He is good and He is for me, a quiet confidence in God (Psalm 112:7-8) and a determination to trust God no matter what (Hab 3:17-18). This homework lesson confirmed that.
Keep âem coming Beth. I love it!!!
NET, NIV and the New American Bible (also read the message)
“NIV” Isaiah 30:15-18 This is what the Soveign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your stregnth, but you would have none of it. You said, ‘We will ride off on the swift horses. Therefore your pursuers will be swift! 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.” Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are those who wait for him!
Yes Yes Yes!! The words of the Lord and Beth’s prompting once again are COMPLETLEY timely and relevant to my live.
I feel like fleeing something in my life, (I won’t reveal it) but it is something that is aching in me!!
This verse is exactly what I needed. God will take of it, all of it! I need to wait for HIM, to be BLESSED!!!!
And the James verse is EXACTLY was I was thinking too. Praying always that the Devil is FLEEING far away from the good works I am trying to do with the Ministry’s and other Godly things I am doing.
đ Thank you for the homework đ Love you all there!!!
1. I chose the Scripture from the Message. It was the one that spoke to me, it was straight and to the point. It is what I would like to say to many unbelievers today in our country. If they could only know our God, how merciful He is, how patient He is, I know for I am one of His forgiven and worst sinners. I love Him with my very life. I wish I was so close to Him that I could hear Him breathe.
Isaiah 30:15-18
ESV, NIV, MSG
âGod 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. 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.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: to grieve, annoy, to push, press, whence (L. to thrust) 1. an expression of intention to hurt, destroy, punish, etc. as in retaliation or intimidation. 2. an indication of imminent danger, harm, evil, etc. (the threat of war) a potential source of this.
Right now I am feeling very pressed in upon and taken it to the Lord.
3. Fleeing looks like a coward to me. There are times that fleeing looks good but I wouldnât do it. Iâm trusting the Lord, I believe He hears me and is coming to the rescue and ask His mercy to help me âin my unbelief.â
4. Each Scripture points out Godâs faithfulness and mercy towards us but we must repent, give up our sinful desires and return to Him and He is faithful to forgive us; He is Holy. The Devil has no control over us except what we allow him to take. We must reclaim our freedom and be on guard against evil.
5. Yes, I too liked what the Message said and I agree with you. I have allowed a situation to unsettle me, it is nothing I can take control of but I know the Lord is in control, He knows what is happening and I am trusting Him to take care of it. Its hard, but Iâm doing it.
6. Beth, this study is definitely a God sighting for me, almost like He is saying to me âGirl, I have everything under control, just let Me handle it, Lean back into My arms and be sheltered. I love you.â
1. Isaiah 30:15-18 NIV 1984; NKJV; The Message
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.
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: A declaration of an intention to punish or hurt if an order is not obeyed. 2 imminence of something undesirable (threat of war). 3. Person or thing as a likely cause of harm.
I feel most threatened in this season of coming face to face with a brother and sister in the Lord who has hurt me tremendously. I know in my heart that one day I believe God will arrange us to meet face to face to restore and reconcile our hearts towards one another. But I keep saying in my thoughts, âIâm okay, Iâll just see you heaven.â We really donât need to go there. I have forgiven you and Iâm over itâŚ..rightâŚughâŚ
I also feel most threatened that Iâm allowing my busyness to overtake time to work on the dream God implanted in my heart. Its seems there is never enough time to do it and that I am going to miss out on what God had planned for me.
3. Fleeing is when I use other things to distract me from the hard work Iâm called to do. Hard work = Forgiving. Relationship work: Loving people who are difficult. Good stewart of finances: Not spending friviously, etc. For example, really working on forgiving the person who wronged me. I mean staying with it until you are freeâŚ.(oh boy conviction coming as I am typing thisâŚ.with some tears) I know this, Iâve mentor younger girls on this, but when itâs a sister or brother in the Lord that pain is a doozy!!!…like no other pain. So I tend to flee by busyness, numbing out in front of the television or shopping. Which is really foolish because I would come out of it so much sooner if I diligently took it to the throne room. I KNOW THIS…ugh…
Am I in fleeing mode right now? Iâm almost out of it because I committed to God to complete the One Year Bible, Iâm doing the scripture memorization, and I committed to God I would not turn the TV on during the week.
4. WOW!! When you look at it like that⌠Iâve been snaked. Wow⌠I wasted so much time!!! Tears⌠Iâm gonna pray stronger belief in my God and who he is and repentâŚ
5. Yes I need to settle down⌠its time to be in recovery mode and just resting in my God and His word. Iâm so glad Jesus gets me. ď
6.I had a situation where God called me to do something and I got a confirmation from him that I was to do it. I said yes wholeheartedly yes to him I would go and do it because I wanted to obey him and knew he would be with me. 6 months later the thing blew up. It was like I was thrown in front of a bus. It was one of the most painful experiences in my life and it all happened in my church. The whole situation lasted 3 years and I am finally coming out of itâŚand at the end of my recovery. I want to handle painful experiences differently next time they happen. I donât want to fleeâŚI want to cling! Take hold, be dependent on Jesus and give up the right to be heard and right. I want to cling to Jesus more than I did before. I want to be alert and LISTEN more than defend my cause. I want t o understand how to embrace the pain and really live out what Paul says, to consider it pure joy my brothers when you face trials of all kinds. Turn fleeing into clinging to the only one who can work it out through us.âŚJesus!!
1. NLT, MSG, NIV
Isaiah 30:15-18 NLT
This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only 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, ‘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! [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.” [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:
An expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
One that threatens
An indication of something impending <the sky held a threat of rain.
Synonyms: hazard, imminence, menace, peril, pitfall, risk, danger, trouble
Words that pop out at me: intention, impending, imminence. Eeek! Sounds close and scary. Just finished a few days of âthings all being due at onceâ. Very hairy. Had to set timers whenever I needed a âquiet timeâ! Timers on my time with God?? Not a good thing.
3. Fleeing
If Iâm depressed or overwhelmed: making a cup of coffee, watch a 10-minute cartoon, pacing around the room, turning on praise music.
If Iâm feeling alone: emails, journaling
Wish I was one of those folks that vacuumed. Not fleeing right now, but I see a threat coming. I think the occasional bouts Iâm getting of business are saying Iâm not leaving enough âmarginsâ in my time. I need to get with it now, work on my priorities and dump some stuff. It all looks good, but it doesnât all hold the same value. Or Iâm going to be seriously fleeing nuttiness for weeks at a time, rather than 2-3 days in a row.
4. Contrast with 1 Peter 5:8-10 and James 4:7
Woohoo! Who should be doing the fleeing. Like this!!
Not ME fleeing, but standing firm on the Rock. Let the enemy flee this Holy Solid Ground where I am planted.
5. Settle down is good. But I like standing firm. But settle down is a fresh phrase, that breathes some new life into âstanding firmâ.
6. Need to park my patootie in my prayer chair and work through what my commitments are. What are His values and His priorities. Seek the safe place and a quiet time. Go to solid ground.
Jean, Rubicon
1.AMP, NLT, MSG
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.
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- an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
I’m feeling most threatened by attacks, on my husband and our family. I feel like Nehemiah 4:12
3. Sometimes, I feel like fleeing and perhaps serving God the way, I’d like, but I know that is not His will. I know, I need to persevere, endure, humble myself, pray, and wait on the Lord and His timing. I need to consider my trials as pure joy and that my faith is being tested,so God can mature and complete something in me,so I will not lack anything. (James 1:2-4) Not that it makes it any easier, but I know I am not fighting against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12)
4. I believe all three scripture references are basically saying the same thing that our enemy is pursuing us. Isaiah 30:15-18 is telling us we need to return to God, in complete dependance because our enemy is much to powerful for us to fight, in our own strength, but if we depend on God, He will be gracious, merciful and He will help to strengthen us as we wait on Him. 1 Peter 5:8 is telling us that we need to live self-controlled lives in which we need Jesus to be self-controlled. It takes discipline, on our parts to choose to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. We need to resist the enemy by standing firm, in the faith that means putting on the full armor (Ephesians 6:10-18)It should be no surprise to us that our brothers and sisters in Christ are all suffering the same thing (Satan’s time is getting short.
As God is promising in Isaiah 30:15-18 that He is going to make all things right – Everything! (Romans 8:28) We need to endure for 1 Peter 5:8 tell us, after we suffer a while, Christ will Himself restore us and make us strong, firm and steadfast. Amen!
James 4:7 Is telling us like Isaiah, to submit ourselves to God and to resist the devil and he will flee from us.
James is also telling us how to do this by drawing near to God and God will come near to us.
5.Yes, I need to hear the words settle down and not only hear them, but do them. So much competes for my attention. I believe God is saying, “Slow down! Choose Me over this fast paced world. Choose what will matter,
in eternity.” Also, I may need to settle down, in what I’m trying to do, in my flesh. I need to take a deep breath and put all my concerns, in my Savior’s hands.
6.God is telling me, I need to trust Him, persevere, endure, completely depend on Him, submit, be self-controlled, be obedient, and wait patiently for Him. For as that song goes “Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord.” It encourages me more to be in prayer for my brothers and sisters-in-Christ because we are all in this together. I need to remember, this is temporary and God is eternal and He will work out EVERYTHING for good according to His plan and purpose. (Romans 8:28)
I need to draw near to God, do His will, resist that old devil and the devil will flee. I need to be self-controlled, so the devil does not get a foothold.
Dear Lord,
I pray You will teach me to be completely dependent, on you. I confess, I have gone my own way. I NEED YOU! I can do nothing without You, but I can do all things through You. Thank You for LPM and for all the people who work there, so that we can grow in You! In Jesus’ name Amen!
Thanks for the assignment!
1. NIV, ESV, MSG The Message is the version speaking to me today.
2. a. an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury or damage. b. one that threatens. c. an indication of something impending.
I feel most threatened in this season in my job. I have the feeling of impending doom when it comes to the evaluation I will get at the end of the school year. I perceive it as a threat. My evaluation depends upon student growth in my classroom (I’m a teacher) and I have kids with a lot of special issues, so my kids’ growth won’t show up well on the measures we’ve been given. It reflects poorly on me. It may just be my pride that is threatened and I need to let that go.
3. Fleeing in my life right now looks like shutting down and avoiding that which is threatening. I ignore it, sleep, read, and keep myself busy to escape facing the threat.
4. These three passages seem to have a common theme of an enemy/evil, flight and God. Reading them in the order they are listed, I see a progression from an enemy causing us to flee, to an enemy who prowls, while God makes us strong, firm, and steadfast. Then the enemy flees. It looks like a 180 turn – we change from being the one fleeing to the one who watches the enemy flee from us. God can work a mighty work.
5. I ABSOLUTELY need to hear the words “settle down.” I’ve felt “amped up” for awhile when I think about the future. I have a tendency to panic when I don’t have the answers for what I want or think I should want in the future. I don’t like not knowing the plan. God says to me, “Just love. I’ll take care of the rest. SETTLE DOWN.” Okay, deep breath. I’ll try.
6. God brought John 14:27 to mind when thinking about my panic about the future. In the NIV Jesus says: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
1. Isaiah 30: 15-18 NIV, ESV and 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: 1. An expression of an intention to inflict pain, injury, evil, or punishment. 2. An indication of impending danger or harm. 3. One that is regarded as a possible danger; a menace.
For me to feel threatened gives me a sense of fear. Currently I am not feeling threatened in any particular way.
3. When I âfleeâ I probably am most likely to turn inward, leaving others out. Is it because I donât want others to see me fearful? Canât say for sure but that certainly is a possibility. Because of so many unsaved people in my life I donât like them to see me shaken since I donât want to give the impression that I donât trust God. Iâm more likely to be vulnerable around a few close Christian friends. Since I am not currently feeling threatened Iâm not currently in the mode to flee.
4. Both 1 Peter 4: 8-10 and James 4:7 talk about resisting the devil. Isaiah 30: 15-18 doesnât specifically mention the devil however it does talk about complete dependence on God, which certainly clearly means we must resist the devil and anything else that keeps us from dependence on God.
5. âSettle downâ â oh yes, I need to hear it! Yesterday I was convinced that âIâ was failing; I wasnât strong enough, smart enough, etc. And I knew without a doubt what I was hearing in my head was not from God. My focus was on me and not on Him. Being in complete dependence on God is my only hope so âsettle downâ I must and it is my desire!
6. Fearing circumstances for me is a sign that Iâm not dependent on God but instead Iâm trying to accomplish life on my own. Fleeing, fearing and racing around are not what God desires for me. Fortunately His Word brings me back to where I need to be. All praise to Him!
1. HCSB
NLT
Amplified Bible:
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, 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] 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.8 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: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage; an indication of something impending; one that threatens
A threat is not the actual evil, injury, or damage that occurs, but rather the expression of intent. So itâs almost like a warning, like when someone says, âOK, brace yourself, because the pain is coming.â So itâs almost as bad as the actual harm itself because you are dreading when it finally comes.
I feel most threatened in this season by 1) the fear of losing a friendship because it has been beaten and feels broken beyond repair right now, 2) fear of never getting married. Of course, these fears are based on lies that come from Satan.
3. I tend to âfleeâ by backing away from situations where I have to be vulnerable or situations that could be hurtful. Most of the time, this is in my close relationships. I try to put on an act as if I donât care about them or what they do to me. If I can care less about them or push them away first, they wonât have the chance to hurt me. I think in the context of losing a friend, I am truly in fleeing mode right now because I donât want to feel hurt anymore. I donât want to have any more unmet expectations so Iâd rather not have any.
4. In the passage in Isaiah, it sounds like they refused to take refuge in the Lord. However, the other two passages encourage us to instead resist Satan and submit ourselves to God. A good summary would be:
God = rest, trust, strength, restoration
Satan/sin= fleeing, threats, being devoured
5. I always need to hear âsettle downâ because Iâm always worrying about one thing or another, always fearing something or trying to control something.
6. Through all of this, God is saying to me: trust. Trust Me. Trust that I know what is best for you. Trust that I am in control. Trust that I can make you whole again. Trust that I did take care of you, am taking care of you, and will take care of you.
Beth Moore Assignment â January
1. Read Isaiah 30:15-18
NIV ESV 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. Threat â1. declaration of intent to cause harm 2. Sign of something bad 3. Somebody or something likely to cause harm
When my security is not in the Lord, I find myself feeling threatened by people in our congregation, thinking that I just âknowâ they do not like us nor want us to be their Pastor. My thought closet becomes overrun by threats from the enemy â about how I am so stupid, how I am so incapable, and how I am so unwanted, unloved and undesirable.
3. I want to hide, to move far away, to not speak to anyone. I feel that I should be ashamed of who I am, I donât measure up. It is very easy to stay at home away from everyone. Instead I must flee to my Lord, flee to His Word, to His Truth!
4. Isaiah 30;15-18 compared to 1 Peter 5:8-10 and James 4:7
1 Peter 5:8-10
Amplified Bible (AMP)
8 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [[a]in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.
9 Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onsetârooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same ([b]identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.
10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.
James 4:7
Amplified Bible (AMP)
7 So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you.
Recognize the lies and who they are from â our enemy satan! Flee to the Father heart. So many of us women suffer silently from these lies, always comparing ourselves instead of looking only to Jesus where our true significance is! Then we will walk in balance and health and then we can reach out and help others in this battle.
5. Settle down â yes calm before Him
6. Oh how timely this was for me. To not react to people or circumstances but respond to my heavenly Father and His love for me. It matters not what others say but only what He says and I will know that by reading and meditating on His Word, His Truth â there I find my true significance. Then I will be able to walk in obedience and it will not matter what lies the enemy tries to throw at me – yes the way is narrow but in the narrow way His way is large. In thankfulness, in gratefulnessâŚI see..I knowâŚHe brings His grace and mercy. To settle in Him, what wonder, what love!
1. The verses:
I found that in all four versions I checked they were all remarkably similar. I looked at the NIV, ESV, NASB and the NKJV. Here they are in the NKJV
Isaiah 30:15-18
New King James Version (NKJV)
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. A definition of âthreatâ from dictionary.com:
threat
[thret] Show IPA
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.
verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
4.
Archaic. to threaten.
Origin:
before 900; (noun) Middle English threte, Old English thrÄat pressure, oppression; cognate with Old Norsethraut hardship, bitter end; (v.) Middle English threten, Old English thrÄatian to press, threaten
The very first definition strikes me because that is exactly what Satan wants to do to us. As children of God, Satan has declared his intention to mess with us. A big way he gets me is with worry, and I know full well that worry is a sin. Yet I do what I do not want to do! I worry! And, in Godâs grace and goodness, most of the stuff I worry about never happens!
3. So âfleeingâ in my life looks most like worry. A futile waste of time if ever there was one. God is Sovereign and my worrying does not one iota of good, nor can I change what will or will not happen.
4. And according to 1 Peter 5:8-10 and James 4:7, God has turned the whole thing around anyway. If we resist the devil, and âfleeâ from him, he actually flees from us! He cannot stand against our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise You Jesus!
5. âIn quietness and confidence shall be your strength.â Being quiet before my Lord, making my quiet time with Him a priority, fits me out for those seasons of fleeing, those sessions of worry so that I can turn them into praise for Him. He gives me the confidence to pursue my days in Him. At rest, and at peace. Totally trusting!
6. So God is saying âdo not do this worry thing! Rest in Me and I will give you strength and confidence. Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world! Oh, we love you Jesus!
1. NET, The Message
NIV84
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!â¨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;â¨at the threat of five you will all flee away,â¨till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,â¨like a banner on a hill.â
18
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;â¨he rises to show you compassion.â¨For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!
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.
I have felt like I deserve punishment for putting Godâs call to ministry on my life on hold in this first year of marriage.
3. I am most prone to flee when I feel like God has cause to follow through with threats of punishment. I retreat into myself, eat, and sit around instead of actively living. I am in full-on âfleeingâ mode.
4. Whether Iâm defying God and deserving of punishment (Isaiah) or actively working to resist the devil prowling around (1 Peter), the grace of God is always there ready to be given.
5. Oh yes! I need to hear âSETTLE DOWNâ!!! Major life changes are good reason to settle down, take time, and breathe in the quiet and peace that God is offering me.
6. I believe God is telling me to settle down because his grace and forgiveness are real for me right now. 1 Peter 5:8-10 are now on an index card for my SMVT 3. Itâs time to wake up and take hold of Godâs word and promises to me.
1. NKJV, ESV, NIV
(NKJV) 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,
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!
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.
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.I get defensive. I want to defend myself, my territory, my point of view. The sad first thought that came to mind was that someone was/is going to steal my glory, my chance to shine. When I write it down, it is ridiculous and petty, but in my thoughts it lurks.
3.Fleeing for me = food. If they are going to steal my glory anyway, I might as well go down with the ship and control the one thing I can while I sink.
4.Contrasting the three, the word âsteadfastâ in 1 Peter stuck out to me. Donât flee, Rhonda, stand on it. Stand your ground. From James, it is the enemy who will flee when I submit to God.
5.Writing it downâŚ. In quietness and confidence shall be your strength. To me that scream settle down.
6.Christ is waiting for me to stop fleeing. To stand on what I know to be true. To stop running my mouth about all the whys and why nots, all the questions and complaints, and to trust HIM. Then will I be strong, not because I know all, but because He does.
1. I read the NIV, NLT, and NET.
Isaiah 30:15-18 NET
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.
16 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.
17 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
The Lord Will Not Abandon His People
18 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.
2. Threat: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage.
I feel threatened in my job (teacher) and as a mother. I can easily become overwhelmed with insecurity…am I doing enough to meet student’s individual needs in the classroom? There are many days that I do not think I am, even though I am a diligent, hard working, and dedicated teacher. Am I fulfilling God’s plan for me as a mother? I often fail in this area in my family. So,yes, I feel threatened that I am not doing a good job. It is easy to look at other people’s children and their “successes” and to feel threatened. Insecurity certainly can overtake me in a split second!
3. “Fleeing” for me means that I divert my attention to other areas. I try to avoid conflict by ignoring situations. Keep in mind when I say this, I am one that can really stir up a conflict…so I try to “check out” for a short time so I don’t express my thoughts on how things should be in my family in an inappropriate way. However, then my emotions get out of hand! I know that if I allow God to have complete control,and I turn over everything to Him, He does handle all situations so much better than I ever could. I tend to “flee” to guard my emotions and work aholic attitude in school and at home.
By His grace, I am not in the fleeing mode right now. But, it is a continual battle.
4. These verses remind me that Satan is always trying to fill us with insecurity. He can pull us down and we don’t even realize it. I have to constantly depend on the Lord and seek Him!
5. Settle Down! Yes, that is something I need to do each day. Depend completely on the Lord! Yes, I need to do that each day, also! The Lord makes each day so much easier! I still wonder why I try to take things into my own hands so often…it just never works out well!
6. I am just so grateful that the Lord is always waiting with open arms for me. He knows my personality and insecurities, and is always there to lovingly take over when I cannot. Complete dependence on Him is what He desires and it is what I desire, too. I just need to give myself to Him each day.
6.
1. I read the NIRV, MSG, and my favorite translation came from the ASV:
âFor thus said the Lord Jehovah, 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 threat of one; at the threat of five shall ye flee; till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on a hill. And therefore will Jehovah wait, that he may be gracious unto you; and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for Jehovah is a GOD OF JUSTICE; blessed are all they that wait for him.
2. Threat : A declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury in retaliation for some action or course, An indication or warning of probably trouble, A person or thing that threatens.
I feel most threatened in this immediate season of the past two weeks since the moment one of our children bravely told us of their sexual abuse by an extended family member. I feel our safety has been threatened, I feel the peace of our home is under threat, I feel our future expectations of what family is and has meant to us in the past tense is under threat. I feel my child is under threat and I fear what impact this will have on their future as an adult, a parent, a spouse, a friend, a believer in God. I feel that their faith and ours as parents is under threat.
3. I am good at fleeing. Fleeing means I block out everyone who has hurt me. I stop contact with them in order to not be hurt anymore. Sometimes I can do that by just avoiding them simply through phone calls or emails, but I have been known to flee across state lines in the past to try and stop the hurt. Yes absolutely I am in a fleeing mode right now. We have encircled our family with those who believe my child and are giving us prayerful support and we have fled from those who have not. Breaks my heart to even type those words, on top of knowing it is what is actually happening to our family and household.
4. The thing that stands out to me the most in comparing the Isaiah text to Peter and James is that instead of US fleeing, it speaks about the ENEMY fleeing. How wonderful to think of me being able to stand strong in my boots, and kick the ENEMY to the curb, stumbling and bloodying His devil nose. Why should it be ME that has to do the fleeing? God says in his word to resist the devil and he WILL flee from you. God doesnât say the devil âmightâ leave you alone, He says he WILL leave us alone!
5. Yes I do need to hear the words âsettle downâ and I especially needed to hear Isaiah 30:18 where it says, âJehovah is a God of justice; blessed are all they that wait for him.â I need to wait for him to act. I need to have faith and trust that he WILL act.
6. So many tears have been shed from our eyes these last 2 weeks in our household. I sit here crying again as I read the Word and hear how God is speaking to my heart. He is telling me that He is a God of Justice. It isnât for me or my husband to find and seek justice for the harm done to our child and our immediate family. It is Godâs place to execute His perfect justice. It is my place to wait, and take care of my children in the meantime. Beth, I joined in the video chat you did just a few weeks ago when you shared about God crowning our year with goodness. I watched it online one day before the news of my child hit, and I still over the last few weeks have reminded myself that God has circled this year with goodness. I repeat it a lot and even though things donât feel very good right now, I have to maintain the faith and trust that it WILL be good. God has encircled our family, God will give justice, and the goodness will come!
1. HCSB; NKJV; NASB – 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 You say, âNo! We will escape on horsesâ- therefore you will escape! â and âWe will ride on fast horsesâ â but those who pursue you will be faster. One thousand will flee at the threat of one, at the threat of five you will flee, until you remain alone like a solitary pole on a mountaintop or banner on a hill. Therefore the Lord is waiting to show you mercy and is rising up to show you compassion, for the Lord is a just God. All who wait patiently for Him are happy.
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 or a probable trouble.
This is striking a chord with me because of a situation at work with a co-worker who is divisive and seems intent on causing tension between fellow workers by using a bullying type of behavior, while also trying to play a victim herself.
3. In my life, fleeing often looks like retreating into the background, shutting down and shutting out.
4. 1 Pet. 5:8-10 and James 4:7. Love theses passage! The reminder that Satan is alive and waiting. I am able to resist him because God goes before me and behind me.
5. Absolutely! The words âsettle downâ call my name. It seems as if so much of life wants to keep me busy. From the moment the alarm goes off in the morning to putting my head on the pillow at night, distractions are waiting around just wanting to keep me from being still, from abiding, for settling down so that I can hear the Word my Father has for me.
6. This word ties into our Bible study this morning—- not only do I need to hear the Word, and read the Word. But I need to study the Word and meditate on the Word, so that I can listen with my heart, and not just my ears.
1.I read the passage from the NKJV, the NIV84 and the NET. The one that seemed to speak directly to me was the NET:
Isaiah 30:15-18 New English Translation (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. 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.
2.From Dictionary.com: Threat is a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, etc., in retaliation for, or conditionally upon, some action or course; menace. It is also an indication or warning of probable trouble
At this point in my life, I feel how I perceive my identity is threatened. We are at the beginning of life as âempty nestersâ and my role of âmotherâ has changed. My own insecurity pulls at me as if to remind me I am no longer valid.
3. Funny, I had not read this question before I finished #2 and I was just about to go on that my insecurity drives me to be âbusyâ â filling my time with the needs of others or pushing myself to do more work (both work-work, school-work)
4. If I will calmly and quietly (in my spirit) just be, I wonât have to fight this battle. The battle is already won. âIâ need not take the lead at this point â âIâ need to be led.
5. I often hear âbe stillâ and the words that come after that are âso you can finish âthisâ task, thought, assignment, lesson, etc. I can get so busy, doing so many different things that none of it is good â and I feel that none it brings glory to God.
6. I can see myself making choices this very week to make myself more busy, to fill my time â as if I am scared of being alone, unnoticed, unloved, etc. I stand as âisolated as a flagpole on a mountaintopâ. I am not isolated though â even if all the people in my life leave me alone, God is with me. Even if my âmommy-daysâ are over, God is with me. God still has purpose for this flagpole, and in this very season, I must spend significant time alone with God to be restored, confirmed, strengthened and established.
Thanks, Beth. These were the exact verses I needed to read. I saw this on Friday â but kept pushing it away. I am so glad I came back to it again.
I read NASB, NLT, and this full portion is from NET
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.
16 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.
17 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.â18 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.
2.) Threat: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
This entire scripture struck me because it seemed to call me out. This is me, so afraid of the intentions of others to inflict evil, injury, or damage upon me. The threat is real, but when I escape one threat another has appeared; until I am, most literally, surrounded by threats. Long story, but suffice to say I have been running from one real threat to the next. Afraid that if I patiently wait for God some further evil will befall me. I have not been trusting God because of so much injury done to me in the past. So I say, “I better ride away on fast horses (my own devises) before more evil befalls me again. This injury befell me because I was vulnerable and God is unwilling or indifferent to helping me.” This definition of âthreatâ has consumed my life, particularly in the last few years as I watched every defense, which I thought I could depend upon, crumble; until I feel exposed and naked. I am most threatened this season because I have not had any way to provide for myself for nearly two years. I must depend on others who are, understandably, tiring of being a support to me.
3.) Fleeing
Fleeing, for me, is looking outside of God and to my own strength to save myself from threats. I am, praise God, not in fleeing mode right now. Not because there are no threats but because God has used these two years to force me into stillness. Not answering my prayers by providing all my âfeltâ needs but giving me actually what I did not wantâŚstillness and complete dependence on Him.
4.) 1 Peter 5:8-10 and James 4:7
I thing 1 Peter 5:8-10 and James 4:7 address the fact that the threat is real. That God knows that we are afraid and are attempting to flee from a real enemy, not shadows. However, flee how, where, to whom? The people in Isaiah 30:15-18 seem anxious, nervous, grasping for any way out, but not sober minded…the picture is familiar. The people, instead of repenting and then resisting the enemy, decided to make dust. It seem that all three of the texts are telling us the order of things. How can I be delivered if I do not turn to God? How can I resist (wait patiently) if I do not submit (repent) to God? I also liked the NLT version of Isaiah 30:18 âSo the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion.â
5.) Settle-down
I am learning that injury and damage does happen, even in the palms of Godâs hands, but it is not out of Godâs unwillingness or indifference to help. It is because in His sovereign love He âallowsâ suffering, sometimes unrelenting sufferings, for a sovereign and loving purpose. The only true evil, injury, and damage are those which destroy our eternal soul, which Abba would never allow to happen to His children. Often now, instead of my eyes and heart darting for the nearest mode of escape or devise for defense, when threats threaten I try to think⌔Here comes some image transforming material.â
6.) Why flee?
I love 1 Peter 5:8-10 because it reminds me that âour light and âmomentaryâ troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.â So, why should I flee?