Isaiah 57:14-21: Greed For The Wrong Things

And it will be said: “Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”

For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry, for then they would faint away because of me—the very people I have created. I was enraged by their sinful greed; I punished them, and hid my face in anger, yet they kept on in their willful ways. I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners, creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the Lord. "And I will heal them.” 

But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” - Isaiah 57:14-21

Greed is never satisfied-always wanting more-but it is a destructive habit. The idea that the one thing-the one goal, the one win, the one relationship-will bring me what I want and ease the sense of lack that I feel is a lie. But because it stops the clamor for a short while, I seek to perpetually stockpile a supply of that one thing and rest secure that my happiness is assured. That is greed. 

God knows that this false longing does to our soul, how destructive it is. It casts "up mire and mud" and leaves "no peace" It is toxic because we were never meant to fill that longing with a "what" but with a "who". When he sees those things pretending to be the answer to that which we most desire, he is angry. 

What is the best course for someone hooked on the drug of the insubstantial and momentary? I don't know. God himself tried many remedies for the people of Israel, but few seem to have worked, at least not for any amount of time. The punishment could not be such that it destroyed the very ones whom he loved.

I'm not sure what the solution is, because my own greed-for significance, for being right, for being secure-is a recurring theme. I think sometimes I can only pray the same prayer I prayed as a college student, "Lord, change me gently. I am weak and I am not sure I can take the breaking, so I will suffer with the slow, unsatisfying progress of someone who grows slowly." As the psalm says, "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." (Ps. 103:13-14)

Psalm 103: Talking to Yourself in the Presence of God

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— - Psalm 103:1-2

The use of pronouns in the prayers of the Psalms always confused me.

• Sometimes the writer is talking to God (Ps. 22), 
• Sometimes the writer is talking to the audience there with him in the temple (Ps. 68:26) or the nations (Ps. 47), 
• Sometimes the writer is talking to the mountains and the rivers (Ps. 98), 
• Sometimes the writer is switching back and forth (Ps. 25:1-7, 16-22 are talking to God  and 8-15 are talking to the congregation.

But I realized today that there is another category: sometimes the writer talks to his/herself-while praying-in the presence of God. These are the "O my soul" psalms. The writer argues and encourages his "soul" to trust in God. In Psalm 103: "He does this by chiding his heart that tends to 'forget' its salvation...his heart forgets in that our instinctive responses and drives and emotions and attitudes do not connect themselves to the truths we profess."[1]

This isn't just self-talk, such as we do when we're in stressful situations, where we say: "You can do it, Tim!" or "Get your act together, Tim!" Self-talk is focused on convincing me that self can do it or self should do better. But these psalms are focused on what God has done and is doing. For example (continuing in Psalm 103):

...who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. - Psalm 103:3-5

Stress pushes our history with God from our minds. Satan uses this spiritual amnesia to keep us focused on survival fight-or-flight reactions to that stress. For me, prayer revitalizes those hard-won lessons learned while walking with God, bringing them fresh to the current situation. My mind surfaces doubts, regrets and fears and my mind recalls trust in Jesus, forgiveness through Jesus and security in Jesus.

At the end of Psalm 103, the writer (of course) switches pronouns to give a little over-the-top advice for those watching God at work:

Praise the Lord, you his angels...Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts...Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul. - Psalm 103:20-22

[1] Tim Keller, Prayer (New York, NY: Dutton), p. 153