Pleasant Stone Devotional Meditation January 22

“I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldst say, Behold, I knew them” ~ Isaiah 48:6,7

The self-conscious “stoutheart” will say even to God: “Why do I need to go through this humiliating experience? I’ve already learned that lesson thoroughly.” And God replies: “I have shewed thee new things … created now … even before the day when thou heardest them not: lest thou shouldest say, Behold I (already) knew them.” God will go to all lengths to teach us what we need to know. Even to creating new things? Even to creating new wisdom? New need for lessons learned? Yes! At least that’s what God tells us in this ice-sharp “clear stone” we are sharing today. “They are created now …” God will stay ahead of us. After all, He is God. He is before and after eternity. And He remains God, not to belittle us, but to give us cause to worship Him. How He loves us. How much more patient and how much less tolerant is God of us than we are of ourselves. Our first parents broke themselves over God’s lovely command to them that they never try to “play God.” That they remain in the glorious relationship of Father and children. They were swayed by their “stouthearts” and shook their fists at the sky over Eden shouting in effect: “Behold, we knew them!” God does not want to look again on us His redeemed ones, with our “stouthearts” broken and bleeding as do all human hearts until Christ heals them by His wounds. “A humble and a contrite heart God does not despise” … a humble and a contrite heart is a peaceful heart because it has hearkened unto God and has been made whole.

“… Learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”