Fleeing on Horses

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
    in quietness and trust is your strength,
    but you would have none of it.
You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’
    Therefore you will flee!
You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’
    Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
A thousand will flee
    at the threat of one;
at the threat of five
    you will all flee away,
till you are left
    like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
    like a banner on a hill.”

 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
    he rises to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
    Blessed are all who wait for him!”

Isaiah 30:15-18

I’ve loved this passage for a long time. Always drawn to quietness and trust being strength. Knowing it’s truth in my life, although I don’t always choose it.

Recognizing that trusting that God’s got my back is often replaced by finding my own strong horses to flee on.

This past week something different struck me. In this passage, not only are they fleeing, they are overreacting. Thousand fleeing at the sight of one. Without quiet to ground them and know truth, the noise of their world has said this is a great threat.

Quietness grounds. It leaves behind distractions. It filters the world through God’s perspective. Through truth. Through love.

My son has had to take eye drops recently. Although they will help him, the noise of his mind has convinced him that it is the worst thing possible. He flees my hold as if on a speeder bike being pursued by Darth Vader.

As I was wrestling with him to get the drops in, I thought of this verse. If only he had quiet and trust. But then God reminded me of the rest of the verse. Our Father longs to be gracious. He rises in compassion. Even when we flee.

That is not often my response when my son flees the eye drops. I am grateful it is God’s reaction.

May this weekend you have space for quiet and rest. And when you flee on your own version of horses, may you see our Lord rising to show you compassion.

Linking this weekend with Still Saturday , The Sunday Community and The Weekend Brew

Click below to read other posts in this month’s series:

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Comments

  1. Sandra Heska King says

    What a vivid picture. And this post is worth a second and third read to let it sink in. Quietness grounds… Thank you.

    • I’m thankful for your space every weekend…it helps usher quietness into my day. I love when God emphasizes something different in a scripture I haven’t noticed before…realizing how much quietness effects many areas of my life. Happy Saturday!

  2. Amanda Conquers says

    Thank you for this Melanie. I am SO there, wanting to flee, overreact, and all I need to do is be quiet. “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength” In rest is my salvation! In rest! Just incredible who our God is!! I want to worry and fret about tomorrow. I feel like I have a million decisions to make, like I have to know the future… and He calls me to rest and trust and be quiet. He longs to be gracious and show His compassion. WOW!

    • It is so hard to find quiet when we feel like we have a million decisions to make. I love the promise here. He’s got it. But I want to keep taking it back…
      Happy weekend friend!

  3. Michele-Ault says

    I love the “Yet, the Lord…” And the words go on to speak of the gracious, faithful, everlasting love of our God. Like Sandra, I had to re-read this, rich with truth and wisdom.

    • Michele- yes, gracious, faithful and everlasting love. Always there. Enjoy your weekend- I’m looking forward to your justice series and how God is leading you in this!

  4. Elizabeth Marshall says

    This is beautiful, fresh, timely, profound and speaks to my soul. This is a gift as I believe I was caught up in the web of a gross overreaction this week. Thank you friend.

    • Elizabeth, I’m so glad it was a gift…and that in God showing me my overreaction it can connect with you too. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

  5. Dear Melanie
    These verses have been a source of incredible comfort to me for such a long time. Especially when I experience a bad flare-up with the Fm/CFS, it has brought me so much joy as I rest in Him and His amazing love. Over via Sandy. Have a lovely weekend.
    Much love XX
    Mia

    • Hi Mia! So good to see you here. I can imagine these verses being ones of comfort in the midst of pain. Sending much love right back to you!

  6. oh yes … quietness, confidence, strength. nothing we’re going to drum up on our own … but only in deep pockets of solitude and silence with Him. thanks, Melanie for this inspiration!

  7. Beautiful post. Joining you from The Weekend Brew.

  8. Love your post–

    Yes, I raised three sons and I can just imagine what that was like with the eye drops–a perfect picture of the scripture message–

    Hope you get your “still time” this afternoon.

    Blessings,
    Dianne

  9. Beautiful & Powerful! Thank You very much!

  10. Great picture… and story.

  11. The fist two lines of this re my favorite. Thanks for sharing.

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