Spiritual DIY

I am not the typical man. Most men, like to work with their hands, build stuff and fix things. And yet, I find that, like Tim the Toolman, the more I try to repair stuff around the house, the more expensive the damage gets. All the while I should have picked up the phone and called someone who knows how to fix the trouble. Instead, I trust in my own ability to fix the problem. I have since resigned myself to enjoying the expertise of those talented individuals on the Do-It-Yourself channels on TV.

Once again veering from my study through the Books of the Law, I find myself reading a book I haven't read very often. As a matter of fact, much of my reading has been pieced together over the years. I am reading through the prophecy of Isaiah. While only a few chapters in, there is already much richness in the text. This morning I was reading through chapter 7, and several common threads jumped out to me as I often struggle with these same issues.

Isaiah is addressing King Ahaz, the grandson of the famous King Uzziah of Judah. Ahaz finds himself surrounded by nations that are conspiring against Judah to invade and conquer them. Needless to say the nation was shaking in their boots. Facing this scenario, Ahaz begins to make plans to do something drastic... align himself with one of the then enemies... Assyria. One commentator describes the foolishness of this by likening it to a mouse asking the cat to help against two rats. Being Italian, I think of it like one neighborhood family hiring the mafia to come help with a couple of local street gangs.

So, God sends Isaiah to Ahaz to address the situation, and here are some of the things that God tells Ahaz in verse 4a, "'Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted.'" Later, in verse 9b, He says, "'If you will not believe, you surely shall not last.'"

How many times have I faced multiple hardships, gotten nervous and decided to "fix" things myself. God isn't moving at the pace that I think He should move nor in the manner in which I think it should be done, so I am going to "help" things along by taking matters into my own hands. Now while, I have learned much from the dumb things I have done, I would have been saved much sorrow had I only trusted God and waited on Him and not tried to be a spiritual do-it-yourself-er. I am sure Ahaz and I are the only ones who struggle with spiritual DIY. Sometimes, I should have followed the revised cliche, "Don't just do something, stand there!" Call on the expert who not only has the blueprints, but is the Designer Himself.

A great passage to follow up with is Psalm 37. I tried to choose one verse to post, but it's all good, read it!