Isaiah 30:10, 11
They tell the seers, 
“Stop seeing visions!” 
They tell the prophets, 
“Don’t tell us what is right. 
Tell us nice things. 
Tell us lies. 
Forget all this gloom. 
Get off your narrow path. 
Stop telling us about your ‘Holy One of Israel.’” (NLT)

Isaiah 30:15 
This is what the Sovereign LORD, 
the Holy One of Israel, says: 
“Only in returning to me 
and resting in me will you be saved. 
In quietness and confidence is your strength. 
But you would have none of it.” (NLT)

Isaiah 30:15-17
GOD, the Master, The Holy of Israel, 
has this solemn counsel: 
“Your salvation requires you to turn back to me 
and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. 
Your strength will come from settling down 
in complete dependence on me— 
The very thing you’ve been unwilling to do. (MSG)

—

“Stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.” 

Do-it-yourself religion is a popular pastime these days. It was also popular in Isaiah’s day. Both days, in the broader sense of Age or Era, are bad days. 

Do-it-yourself religion makes you religious, but it doesn’t make you righteous. It doesn’t make you holy. It will not save you. 

It appears some people are uncomfortable with any religion that doesn’t demand effort on the participants’ part to save themselves. However, our God keeps telling us that salvation is a gift. Gifts don’t cost the recipients anything, otherwise they wouldn’t be gifts. 

Here is what God commands for our salvation: Receive his gracious, merciful gift. We cannot earn it, and neither can we take it by force. 

God says, “Return to me.” 

God says, “Rest in me.”

God says to demonstrate our strength by “settling down in complete dependence on me.”

This is not a hard idea to understand. This is not a hard practice to implement. The results are perfectly good now and forever. 

Every god but God demands effort. God asks us to cease striving. 

Every god but God demands rituals. God asks us for dependence.

Every god but God demands trembling fear. God asks us to trust him. 

Do you trust him? Do you depend on him? Do you receive his gift of a full and meaningful life now and forever?

—

I will flee from all attempts to save myself.

—

Our Father, I come to you in quiet confidence. I depend on you for what only you can do. I trust you now and forever. I belong to you. Amen.