Returning Word

Isaiah 55:11 is often quoted as saying, "God's word will not return to him void."  However, what the passage actually says is, "so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire..."

Notice the "so is" and the "accomplish what I desire..."  Before we can fully understand the statement, we need to investigate the "so is" and "what I desire."  God's word is sent out like something and accomplishes something that is in accord with his will. 

Verse 10 reveals that His word is sent out like the rain, which returns to the clouds but not before nourishing the earth. God's word, as seen in the opening chapters of Genesis, follows a pattern: It is spoken, it releases creative power and it is good (see Gen 1:3f). 

God's word for us will follow the same pattern, however, we may miss that pattern by 1) Not getting around to listening to His word for our lives, "though hearing, they do not hear" (Matt 13:13). Do you carve out time daily to read His word and listen in quiet time? 

And 2) Expecting His word to line up with what we desire rather than listening for what It says in the Bible, prayer, our circumstance and counsel of trusted Christians. In other words, we often fail to listen to what we hear because it isn't what we want to hear. 

When we tearfully or angrily ask "Why is God allowing...?"  What we really mean is "Why isn't God doing what I want?"  We are confused by a good God allowing a bad thing. 

The trouble is, however, we do not have the same vantage point as God: "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares The Lord" (Isa 55:8).  Since God is good and his will is to bless, instead of accusing God of failing to do good, perhaps we should ask, "What is the good I am missing here or what good will God bring out of this moment?"  Jus' Sayn.