
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.
No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
Isaiah 35:8-10 ESV
In my reading this morning I was reminded of how it is God who brought me to His Way through His gift of faith, but He keeps me daily in His Son even when my predilection is to stray. My old man is all too ready to abandon holiness for hedonism and the pleasures of the world; the allurements of the world blinding me to the wonder of a God who loves me and has for me so much more now and forever.
For some time now I’ve followed D.A. Carson’s blog, For the Love of God¸ on the website for the Gospel Coalition and the combination of four different Scripture readings along with his insights into a part of those readings have often called to my heart and this morning is no different. In Psalm 90, Moses tells me that God would have me to “…number my days…” that I would learn wisdom; this life is not forever and the all too fleeting pleasures and passions of today that too often can take my eyes off of Him are ephemeral and fleeting, leaving me empty of comfort or satisfaction. Walking in His Way will, however, give fulfillment and joy both now and forever and He promises to keep me in that Way.
Yes, as Isaiah has written, this fool is kept from going astray by a God who loves me more than I realize even though He knows me better than I know myself. That is truly Amazing Grace indeed!