“YOU WERE UNWILLING!”

Isaiah 30:15-17                      (ESV)

“15 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”, 

16 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.”

While America is busier than we have ever been, so were we 17 years ago!  On September 11, 2001 I was late leaving my house for the office.  When the first plane hit the World Trade Center in New York, I watched my television and in my mind the blame game began.   How could an Air Traffic Controller make such an egregious error?  Then the second plane hit the other tower and I immediately thought something was wrong, but never dreamed that terrorists would DARE venture into the United States of America???  We are the most powerful nation in the history of mankind.  Who would have the ignorance to miscalculate our might???  Or did they miscalculate???

Nineteen young men carried out what was soon to be known as the 9-11 Terrorists attacks.   Over 3,000 people were murdered that day and FEAR gripped our mighty nation.  It seems now that FEAR has been replaced with APATHY and we are back in the “rat-race” that was driving our lives before that fateful morning.  NEVER FORGET was shouted the first few years following, but now it appears that was just a saying?  

ALMIGHTY GOD spoke to Israel through HIS prophet Isaiah that IF HIS children would RETURN to HIM, and REST in HIM, HE would protect them.  Scripture indicates that “YOU (Israel) WERE UNWILLING” and instead chose to flee!  They were unwilling to listen to GOD and chose to do what they thought was best.  America listened to GOD for a few days, and then began to do what we thought was “our best interest” very soon afterwards.  We have neglected to RETURN to HIM, and REST in HIM, and we are allowing the enemy to infiltrate our nation with almost open arms!  

YOU SHALL BE SAVED isn’t preceded by hiding behind FEAR, nor getting along just to get along!  RETURNING to and RESTING in the LORD does precede YOU SHALL BE SAVED.  Have our EYES been opened yet?  ALMIGHTY GOD is our ONLY HOPE!  Will HE be required to once again say “YOU WERE UNWILLING” to RETURN and REST as we trust in our own strength and might???