5 Minute Friday ~ Here

Joining Lisa-Jo @ Gypsy Mama for another Five Minute Friday...

"...where a beautiful crowd spends five minutes all writing on the same topic and then sharing ‘em over here.

Now, set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.



1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

OK, are you ready? Please give me your best five minutes on..."

Here…

What are you doing here and who gave you permission
to cut out a grave for yourself here,
hewing your grave on the height
and chiseling your resting place in the rock? "Beware, the Lord is about to take firm hold of you
and hurl you away, O you mighty man...."

(Isaiah 22:16,17)

I've been reading in Isaiah recently. And thinking about these words. A lot.

Sometimes it is easy to dismiss the Old Testament as not so relevant to my life today. It isn't good idea to dismiss any part of God's Word, and He continually reminds me of that.

The Lord sent Isaiah to speak these words to Shebna, an ambitious steward in the service of King Hezekiah. Maybe his behavior was fueled by ambition, a desire for people to respect and think highly of him, but for whatever reason, Shebna had carved for himself the type of tomb usually kept only for those belonging to the royal family or others of high rank and noble distinction.

Shebna did hold a prominent official position in the king's court... Isaiah describes him as a "mighty man." Yet he also appears to be using his position for personal gain and glory. He wanted to be remembered long after his death as an important, respected and valuable man.  Isaiah had already prophecied that the nation of Judah and Jerusalem; apparently Shebna did not believe the reality of God's judgment.

Shebna's presuming angered God. And this is one of the few spots... perhaps the only place in the book of Isaiah... where God pronounces judgment against an individual, and it is a scathing one.

Like I said, I've been thinking about these words.

What am I doing, here? 

Am I busy about the business of promoting myself, building my own memorial, here, for my own glory? 

Here can refer to many places... my world as a missionary, doing discipling and literacy work with women... my position as a mama... the program I've had a part in building at the school... the scripts I've written for children's radio programs... this home I've created in the cyberworld...

Am I here... wherever, however that here may be... for me? Or for the glory of the One and Only Worthy?

God's asking me:

What are you doing here?

Who gave you permission to cut out a [place or position] for yourself here,
hewing... and chiseling [this] place?

I need to make sure I know and act on the answers to those questions... each and every day... each and every here and now.