WEEKLY REFLECTION by Pastor Lap Dinh on Isaiah‬ ‭30‬:‭20‬-‭24‬

“Although the Lord has given you bread of deprivation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher, will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will see your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left. And you will desecrate your carved images plated with silver, and your cast metal images plated with gold. You will scatter them as a filthy thing, and say to them, “Be gone!” Then He will give you rain for your seed which you will sow in the ground, and bread from the yield of the ground, and it will be rich and plentiful; on that day your livestock will graze in a wide pasture. Also the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned feed, which has been winnowed with shovel and pitchfork.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭30‬:‭20‬-‭24‬

The “although” marked the beginning of God’s gracious move, which means He will show favor to His people in spite of their sins of not hearing, heeding, or obeying His word earlier on. And the consequence was their suffering—eating the “bread of deprivation” and drinking the “water of oppression.” In other words, they toiled hard but always felt they did not have enough. They received income but were under oppression.

This will change when they begin to see their Teacher and hear His word, calling them to follow Him, walk in His way, and put an end to their idolatry. And then, they will see and receive His blessing on the work of their hands and abundance in their labor.

Now in Christ, although those who had ignored His instructions previously, by His grace they will see the Teacher—Jesus. And when they hear His word and respond, receive, and take action by walking in His way, then they will experience the fruit of their labor and enjoy the blessing of the Lord on the work of their hands. No longer toiling, but working for the Lord and being satisfied in His presence.

May His people be wise in heeding the word of the Lord on a daily basis. Amen.