Ah, stubborn children, declares the Lord, who carry out a plan but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin. Who set out to go down to Egypt without asking for my direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt.
– Isaiah 30:1–2
Oh, this indictment of God’s people from God in Isaiah 30. Do you hear what God is saying? He’s saying, “You made plans, but you didn’t follow my plans. You made alliances, but not in the direction of my Spirit. And as a result, you’ve added sin upon sin in your life. You’ve followed your own direction instead of asking for my direction. And you’ve sought refuge and shelter in others instead of me.”
Isaiah 30:1–2 reminds us to ask God for direction in our decision-making.
Oh, is it not possible for us to do the same thing in our lives today? To make plans, to carry out plans, without looking to God first and saying, “Is this what you want me to do?” To make decisions without dependence upon his Spirit in that decision-making process. How common is it for us to do things, go in directions in our lives without first asking for God’s direction? And how easy is it for us to seek refuge, shelter, and security in our bank accounts, and the things, possessions, and positions of this world, instead of finding our security, seeking our shelter and our refuge in God, period?
I just want to encourage you today, even as I’m encouraged reading these two verses, to seek God, seek God, seek God, for everything. For his plans, for his direction, his leadership, his guidance, the refuge that’s found in him alone, the shelter and security that are found in him alone. Seek God, seek God, seek God, above all else, first and foremost, in every facet of your life, of my life.
Isaiah 30:1–2 warns us against carrying out plans outside of God’s will.
So we pray, God, keep us from ourselves in all these ways we read in Isaiah 30:1–2. Please keep us from carrying out plans that are not yours… In our lives, in our families, in every facet of our lives. In your church, as your people. God, help us to carry out your plans, not our own plans. We pray that you would lead us by your Spirit and help us to follow the direction of your Spirit, oh God, in everything we do today, every interaction, every conversation, every decision, every thought. Please lead us by your Spirit we pray, and help us to continually pray in dependence on your Spirit all day long, for your direction.
Help us not to set out to do anything without asking for your direction, just as you say here in Isaiah 30:2. And help us, oh God, to take refuge in your protection, to seek shelter in your shadow. Why would we seek refuge and shelter anywhere else? You are our protector. You are our strength. Lord, you are our hope. You’re our joy. You’re our life. We need you. And we praise you for your promise to protect us.
We praise you for your promise to shelter us… Your promise to lead us and guide us and direct us when we look to you. So we pray for all these things in our lives today. Lead us, guide us, direct us according to your plans, according to your Spirit. And help us as we live today following your leadership in every facet of our lives… To experience the refuge, the shelter, and the security, the rest that are found in you alone.
Prayer for the Lezgin People
God, help us to lead others… In the power of your Spirit in us… To the refuge and shelter that are found in you alone. Help us to encourage others in the body of Christ in this way today. Help us to lead those who don’t know you, Jesus, to the refuge and shelter that are found in you. And we pray, oh God, for the Lezgin people of Georgia, Russia, and Turkey. God, we pray that this people group would be reached with the good news of your refuge and your shelter. In Jesus, we pray for your spirit to send out, and direct your church to spread the gospel to the Lezgin. That they might be reached with the good news of your love for them. We pray all this according to your Word in Isaiah 30:1–2. In Jesus name, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
