For the Idealists out there

"Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,
who draw sin as with cart ropes, who say: 'Let Him be quick,
let Him speed His work that we may see it;
let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,
and let it come, that we may know it!'
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!
Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink,
who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!" Isaiah 5:18-23.

I love the fact that 2 verses earlier is says, "But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness." Clears up the doubt anyone might have had that the God who just said woe four times in a very earth-shaking consequence sort of way could possibly be unjust or unrighteous in His anger. He's still perfect, even in these deadly serious woes. These verses hit me in my pursuit through the Bible as they so clearly lay out what's not ok: Don't tell God to hurry up. He's got great timing, you hush. Don't ask God to see what He's doing, yet again He's in charge you hush. God doesn't owe you anything, especially a life-map so you know where you're going. You may not know His counsel or the next step until it comes, but it's ok and be ok with it.
The part that hit me the most starts in verse 20. How often do I call evil good? How often do I justify things I know are wrong? How often do I veer off the path ever so slightly and make it ok saying that my actions are still better than most? Better than others, as though that's the benchmark, as though doing the right thing is more about hitting close to the target as being good enough. If it's not absolutely right, it's WRONG. that hurts. It's true. Then the kicker in 21 with woe to those who are wise in their own eyes- woe to the people who think they're good at following all the other woes. Woe to the people who try to be good on their own without falling at the feet of Jesus everyday and admitting out inadequacy and allowing His strength to carry our weakness. That's it, that's all the Christian life is about. Weakness entrusting itself to a mighty one to be kept and used to illuminate the Lord of the Universe.

The woes are not meant to be binding and weighing. They're meant to free us from the human justification and lying we do to ourselves everyday. They're meant to raise us to a higher standard and so to start living from that view and not the world's platform. Unless we actually raise our eyes, we'll never see the Son rise and so be called to sit in that light eternally starting today.