It’s clear that there is a concentrated ideological attack against God and biblical values today that is working to shift peoples’ values, thoughts and faith. We are seeing a phenomenon of which Isaiah addresses near the beginning of his book, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20). So, here are some big questions for us to consider as it may relate to a variety of issues:
- How does God determine what is good and evil?
- What is His perspective on a given issue?
- How are we interpreting and applying God’s Word and ways?
- How well do we perceive the heart and mind of the Lord?
- Why does it matter?
As he comes close to the climax of his message, Isaiah brings another one of God’s perspectives into view. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
It, therefore, behooves us to seek Him to gain fresh approaches to understanding and applying His Word and ways. Consider, then, how as Isaiah draws his book and message to a close, he draws our attention to another profound statement:
“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1-2)
So, as the darkness gets darker—which it certainly has—His light shines brighter. It’s up to us, however, to receive and reflect His light in greater ways. Therefore, consider how this point Jesus makes may be applicable in a variety of ways. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16 italics added)
The question is, how should we so shine? God challenges us to receive and reflect greater light to overcome greater darkness and radiate more brightly.
Radiating Greater Light in Greater Darkness
God offers us a higher life that transcends social, cultural and political differences. Therefore, we can arise from any state of mind or being that limits our ability or capacity to be radiant with the love, light and life of the Spirit of God. So, He calls us to put our whole being in the light of His presence in greater and newer ways.
The Holy Spirit helps us receive and reflect the love, light and life of God to express the higher ways of God’s love and truth radiating from His throne (Psalm 89:14). It’s up to us to tap into God’s higher nature, ways and multidimensional graces of the Holy Spirit which transcend our ways. So, we must look beyond what we currently see and know to apprehend God’s new and higher things (Isaiah 42:9; 43:19). Paul encourages us in the fact that we have been given “access by faith into this grace” (Romans 5:2).
So, as much as Isaiah speaks about God’s judgment, truth and plan of salvation, he expresses that God waits for us to come to the place of hungering and thirsting for Him to seek Him and receive greater dimensions of His love and truth to shine with greater measures of His light.
“So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.” (Isaiah 30:18 NLT)
Reaching Higher, Digging Deeper and Moving Beyond
God, therefore, invites us to dig deeper, go higher. We dig deeper most effectively by pressing into His love; finding ways to receive His love and sow His love into others through compassion. By sowing love God strengthens the depths of our heart to receive greater measures of His love and truth. So, we allow the Holy Spirit to do a deeper work in us and we reach higher by relentlessly seeking His ways, His truth and His life.
This is what living in the strength of His identity and resurrection power is about. It’s living beyond the two major types of spiritual depravity that are so pervasive in our society that they deceive and entrap us without us seeing it. So, consider how the Bible uses Egypt and Babylon as reference points to convey key messages relating to these two primary states of depravity.
Consider Egypt representing a low state of depravity and spiritual bondage or captivity. God had the children of Israel go to Egypt in times of famine. So, on the one hand, we can view Egypt representing spiritual famine. Even after being delivered by God from the bondage of Egypt, the children of Israel had a problem trusting in God. So, Egypt also represents a low state of faith.
In effect, it characterizes a mindset of thinking and acting in ways below God’s intentions, designs and ways. It causes one to have a low self-image and level of self-worth or self-esteem. It also fosters a poverty-victim mentality. Therefore, it dishonors God, our Creator. While possibly presenting an appearance of humility, it really represents false humility.
Babylon, on the other hand, represents an opposite extreme. It represents a high state of depravity and bondage or captivity. After continued warnings from the prophets, God allowed Jerusalem to be overthrown and the children of Israel to be sent to Babylon due to incessant pride, rebellion and idolatry. Chapter 25 of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles 36 and Jeremiah 52 provide details of this. So, Babylon, or the spirit of Babylon, represents a state of pride, rebellion and idolatry. It fosters a mindset where one thinks and acts in prideful and lofty ways, above God’s intentions, designs and ways. It causes one to have a self-exalting and unhealthy high self-image, feeding on indulgences of the flesh and self-gratification mechanisms.
This spirit of Babylon, therefore, fosters a high self-maintenance or vain mentality, causing one to have insatiable desires for self-gratifying things. So, it results in a life that is centered worshiping counterfeit gods, entertaining lying vanities and images, and trusting in human drive, intellectual prowess and ability, self-will, self-sufficiency, financial might, outward strength and material possessions, external/social/political conformity, power and control. It too dishonors God. The reality is, it’s the epitome of the way of the world. It’s the seduction of God’s adversary and represents the kingdom of darkness. It’s all around us; typically camouflaged.
The truth is, both forms of spiritual bondage deprive one of the wholeness of God’s true blessings. Both deny God’s true grace, lovingkindness and truths, which bring what Jesus calls “life more abundantly.” So, both forms of bondage deny God’s higher life and limit one’s identity in and of the Lord.
Jesus came to set captives of all types of depravity free. He came as the Light of the world to reveal the Father’s deeper love and higher ways. He came to release the grace gifts of the Holy Spirit to enable us to live in the way of His resurrection power, the new life of the Spirit. His ways are higher, and His light can radiate brighter in and through us. He invites us to reach higher and dig deeper to see how.
Today we must give special attention to this. God knows how to work in us to bring us into greater alignment with His heart and ways. For me and my house, we have chosen to take Him up on His word, to ask for and receive His greater love, light and life to bring us to walk even more closely with Him and agree with Him in deeper ways than we ever have. It’s the way to advancing forward in the Lord. We encourage you to inquire of the Lord to do the same.