Isaiah 8
In this chapter, Isaiah compares God to a rock: “‘Don’t think there is a plan against you just because the people say there is. Don’t be afraid of what they fear. Don’t let them frighten you!’ The LORD All-Powerful is the one you should fear. He is the one you should respect. He is the one who should frighten you. If you people would respect him, he would be a safe place for you. But you don’t respect him, so he is like a stone that you stumble over. He is a rock that makes both families of Israel fall.” (vs 12-14)
Does God reward the righteous and punish the wicked? Does He act in a loving way toward those He likes, while striking His enemies with a vengeful hand? Does God determine the dynamics of our relationship? Or do we?
Photo © Unsplash/Jeremy Perkins
This is but one example in the Bible of how people respond and react to God in different ways, even though God is not described as having treated those people differently. In this chapter, God is a rock. In Malachi 4, He is a fire. In John 13, He is a humble servant. In every case, as different people encounter the same God, they respond differently and experience different results.
To me, what this suggests is not a God who is two-faced, not a God who treats one child one way and another child another way. No, the difference is not in God, but in us. In this chapter, Isaiah says that God is a rock. But how we respond to this rock depends on us, not on Him. If we have respect for this rock, it will be like a safe, unshakable place for us. If we have respect for God, it will lead us to peace, comfort, and salvation. But if we don’t have respect for this rock, we will trip over it. If we don’t have respect for God, we will stumble over the very thing that is intended to help us!
Photo © Unsplash/Fleur
It’s important for us to realize that God doesn’t treat us based upon our response to Him. He loves us and wants the best for us whether we accept Him or reject Him. But the way in which we respond to Him will determine the outcome of our interaction with Him.
God is a rock. And that rock can either be something you stand on or something you trip over. The choice is yours.