Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.’ Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also?’”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, November 24, 2023
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
This is one of the Bible’s many comedic moments. God straight up tells Isaiah to tell Ahaz to ask God for a sign. Ahaz, not wanting to offend, wanting to make sure he is following God’s commandments to a “T” essentially says, as Jesus did in the wilderness, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” Which, under the circumstances of a prophet of God coming to your door and spouting off, you kind of have to admit isn’t a bad course of action.
Isaiah, at this point, basically facepalms. “For crying out loud. Is it not enough that you drive everyone around you crazy so you feel like you have to try to drive God crazy, too? God just asked you to ask for a sign. ASK for as SIGN!”
I have to admit I’m guilty of being Ahaz a lot of the time. I don’t want to come out and say whether I believe God gives clear directions or directly intervenes in things—there are too many unknowns, too many things that go wrong, too many tragedies. And yet I’ve also experienced moments of serendipity so profound I honestly can’t come up with any rational explanation. But I don’t want to claim them as God’s action. Not when my friend’s baby died, or when there’s war in Israel and Gaza.
God is probably facepalming in these moments. Laughing, but facepalming nonetheless. Sometimes I just need to get over myself and my need to control the narrative and just accept the gift. I don’t have to be able to explain anything. I can be grateful to God for any good thing in my life always.
Do I believe God directly acts in my life? Why or why not? How?
