Talk About A Bizarre Metaphor Isaiah 55

From the beginning of time, there has been an immeasurable distance between the mind of God and the comprehension of humans. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

You simply don’t have the capacity to understand life without divine help. Without God’s Word, your existence won’t make any sense.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8).

You simply don’t have the ability to move through life with a clean heart. Without God’s Word, you don’t have what it takes to live righteously.

Read this carefully…

Isaiah 55 talks about this transformation using a bizarre metaphor: “Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” (Isaiah 55:13)

You don’t need to be an expert botanist to know that rain gives growth to whatever already exists. So in this metaphor, the rain should create a bigger thorn bush, not a cypress tree. But the Word of God has transforming power. The Bible has the unparalleled ability to grip us at our roots – our sinful, creation-worshiping heart – and transform us into an entirely different person.

You simply can’t experience spiritual growth on your own. Without God’s Word, you’re going to remain a prickly thorn bush.

One Final Thought… We can rise at 5:00 a.m. every day and read the entire Bible in 365 days. It’s very possible to read the Bible diligently and with a hard heart. If you read the Bible with humility, get ready to be soaked with the powerful rain that will change your life!