You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings, nor honored me with your sacrifices. (Isa. 43:23)
My mother taught me to sew at a young age, and by the time I was twelve years old, I was making my own play outfits. One of the key teachings she instilled in me was to position, affix, and then follow the pattern I pinned onto the fabric correctly. She carefully watched me perform that vital function over and over again. That was an excellent lesson, but, in time, I began acting on my own ideas and attempted to disregard the pattern pieces provided. Naturally, these attempts always had disastrous results.
Those Israelites. Disregarding instructions, choosing their own way, walking out of step with their Creator, and seeking self-importance over servitude, they floundered. They forsook the pattern set before them, the perfect pattern that would lead to promised redemption. They were much like the young seamstress I was, not understanding the pattern was there not to constrict, but to guide.
God patiently guided his charges through the divine pattern he established, yet they continued obstinately to follow their own way, murmuring and complaining all the while at their results. His patience, though tried, endured. Patterns serve as directions we use to complete a task. When we fail to follow the patterns God has given us, his abiding mercy and unending love are still the precious redemptive gifts he provides for our lives.
Honor his gifts of mercy and redemption in your life.
Susan Gordon lives in Wadsworth, Ohio, where she enjoys serving in local organizations, biking, kayaking, exercising, and spending retirement making memories with her husband and grandchildren.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
