Isaiah 57:14-21 – God wants to build us not destroy us

Wonderfully we know that the anger of the Lord will not last forever. He will deal with our stubbornness, but He will do so with compassion, graciousness, and mercy. The trails of life are permitted by God to straighten the wayward and not to crush and destroy them.  So here amid all the warnings, God sent a message of hope to Judah in Isaiah 57:14-21.  

Referring to Himself as the high, exalted, and Holy One, God ordered that a way be prepared for the people to return to Him. He ordered that obstacles be removed so that their way to Him would not be hindered. In verse 15, we see the grace of God clearly displayed. Though He dwells on high, yet He has chosen to dwell among the lowly, those who are humble and contrite of hearts. His purpose is to revive them.  

The lesson for us is that God is merciful. He will resist the proud but give grace to the humble. His dealings may be harsh, but they are designed to bring His wayward people to their senses and return to Him. God’s anger with them always has a reason. It’s because of their sin and stubborn persistence in their waywardness. Yet even in God’s anger, He will deal measuredly with them. In dealing with their rebelliousness, His purpose is to make them realize their folly and return to Him.

He may be angry with His people, yet He will deal with them with tenderness. His dealing is never designed to crush them forever with hopeless despair. He will deal with them, but He will also forgive, restore, and heal them. The appropriate response to His mercy and grace is a life of praise. They will realize He has made His peace available to all, far and near. Isaiah 57:20-21 round-up with a sober admonition that the peace that God has promised will not be the experience of the wicked. Instead of peace, the life of the wicked will be chaotic, much like a turbulent sea tossing up its filth. Their minds will be filled with wickedness and they will not be able to experience peace.  

A passage like this reminds us that we cannot take God for granted. We cannot be careless and indifferent to His grace in our lives. If we persist and not respond to His kind overtures, with time we will find our conscience insensitive to the Spirit’s prompting. There may even come a time when we will give total disregard to what God wants to do in our lives. It will not be that God is not merciful, but that we are unwilling.  So do not be egotistical, but rather cultivate humility, practice mindfulness, and be sensitive to God’s prompting. So that we can experience the joy and peace and wholeness in the Lord. So don’t flaunt the grace of God!