What are you looking at?

I was doing my reading this morning in Isaiah and I saw something that struck me so I felt the desire to share my revelation with you. In Isaiah 20:3: Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia…” Isaiah walked naked for three years. For three years “Gods Servant” never put on a piece of clothing, NEVER!!! Now I don’t know about you but if I see someone walking down the street naked I’m going to the other side. I am making an instant judgement of the person based on his appearance without even asking him why. “What’s your purpose in being naked? In this case God told him to and it was because God was trying to make a point. God does this throughout the bible with his prophets. John the Baptist dressed in Camel skin and ate wild locusts and honey. Then he would stand on a corner and yell out the kingdom of God is at hand. (I seem to avoid those people as well.) He had another prophet marry a prostitute (Hosea), etc… All these people were messengers of God but according to anyone’s standards all these people were freaks. Most of us would do whatever we could to avoid them and when we see them quite often we laugh and run off and tell our friends “You’re never going to believe what I saw “I saw John on the corner yelling” Yes, he’s back can you believe it! You can probably already guess where I’m going with this. But I’m going there anyway. Earlier I read again in Isaiah 11:1-3 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and might, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, AND HE SHALL NOT JUDGE BY THE SIGHT OF HIS EYES, NOR DECIDE BY THE HEARING OF HIS EARS; … I have recognized my tendency to Judge and am desperately trying to fight against it but it’s subtle and very easy to do. This is the best reminder I have seen of just how much I can miss by listening to my first impression or the first impression of others. How about you? Where do you stand with this? Are there neighbors or co-workers that you have avoided because they seem to be a little off? Does the person running the cash register at your grocery store seem a bit different? Have you ever listened to the guy yelling on the street corner? Take a few minutes to get to know them and the heart they speak from. You may learn a bit about yourself and our God.

(Obviously practice wisdom. Some people should not be approached alone because you don’t know them.)