Newton’s third law of physics states, “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. No disrespect at all to Mr. Newton, but did you ever think how the laws of man, even the laws of physics, don’t apply to God?
The benefits and “up sides” of serving the Lord are many. God is generous and kind to us. I love Isaiah 58 – I read it and think about it often. Read this piece of the passage – I emphasized a few important words not be missed:
“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday” (Isaiah 58:9b-10)
The “if“s are my part – those are things that I need to be careful to do consistently.
“The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail” (Isaiah 58:11)
The “then“s and the “and“s are the Lord’s part. If I do this, then He will do that and that. There’s always an “and” with the Lord – He’s all about addition and growth and increase!
We don’t have to perform in order to be worthy of God’s love – He loves us already, just like we are. However, just like showing up at work and doing your job daily is key to benefits like paychecks and health insurance, obedience to God is key to receiving spiritual benefits.
You know what stands out to me the most today? There are way more “then“s and “and“s than there are “if“s. If I do a few things, the Lord will do LOTS of things. If I “take away the yoke from my midst” (that means if I will release the people around me from the pressure/oppression of meeting my demands, do my best to operate in graciousness and peace), if I take away “the pointing of the finger” (if I refuse to play the “blame game”), if I stop “speaking wickedness” (well, you know what that one means)…. If I “extend my soul to the hungry” and”satisfy the afflicted soul” (if I willingly and happily share with those in need)…. then what will the Lord do? Take a look at this amazing list:
- He will cause my light to shine in darkness
- He will guide me continually
- He will satisfy my soul when I am in need
- He will strengthen my bones
- He will cause my life to be like a well-watered garden, green and healthy and growing
Want some more “and”s? Well, good news: there’s more! Not just for you, but for those who are within your sphere of influence, those who come after you:
“Those from among you
Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In” (Isaiah 58:12)
Simply beautiful. If I operate in obedience, then my legacy will be one of peace and restoration, building foundations and restoring that which is broken…. The Lord will multiply our small actions into a ripple effect that continues on beyond us.
Please forgive me, Sir Isaac Newton: for my small action, the reaction was not opposite nor was it equal. The Lord took my small effort of kindness and cheerful giving, and His reaction was abundant and multiplied, far beyond what I did. You may have found the same to be true in your life, or maybe you’ll take this on as an experiment today and try it out: every time you take a step of obedience to the Lord, His reaction is so much better and sweeter and kinder than you could have reasonably expected.
Every single time you perform your “if”, the Lord will perform His “then” and His “and” on your behalf – and that, my friend, is a treasure every time 🙂
praying you find yourself on the sweet end of the deal today,
Jennifer ❤
jennifer spivey 
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