Isaiah 63:5 - Intervention

I heard a hilarious story the other day. A certain husband wasn't known for his gift-giving, even with his wife. Buying flowers for his wife on Valentines Day was a waste of money. At the same time he could become jealous without any reason for it. One year, the wife bought herself some roses for Valentines' Day. When her husband came home, she showered him with kisses and "thank you's" for the flowers. 

"What flowers?" he demanded. 
"I want to know who sent you those flowers!" 

She denied it initially, but when the truth came out...  well, the next year he bought her a dozen roses for Valentines' Day.

Sometimes when other's won't "do for us," we end up doing for ourselves. 
What happens, though, when there are overwhelming odds against us? 
That's when God steps in.

The Jewish people were constantly disobeying God. He would discipline them with hardship, they'd repent, He would rescue them, and things would stabilize--until the next round of the same thing. It finally resulted with God letting their enemies conquer the Jewish nation, destroy their temple, and deport them as slaves. 

Human nature is to dig ourselves in deeper than we can handle. 
That's where the people of Israel found themselves. 
Again, they eventually repented of their wrong doing. 
Again, they called out to God for help. 

God's response was:
"I was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. 
So I myself stepped in to save them with my strong arm, 
and my wrath [against injustice] sustained me." 
(Isaiah 63:5, New Living Translation. See Isaiah 59:16)

God's biggest intervention was when Jesus took our punishment, dying on the cross for our sins. That's the foundation for all the other times when He intervenes in our lives.

Father in heaven,
A wife buying her own flowers is somewhat amusing. But it's not amusing when I try to manipulate circumstances to improve my situation. The reality is that I need to You to step in. Open my eyes: both to how much I need You, and Your willingness to intervene. In Jesus' name, Amen.

I need Thee ev'ry hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
I need Thee, O I need Thee; 
Ev'ry hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior, 
I come to Thee!

- Annie S. Hawks