LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. (Isaiah 25:1 NIV)

     At first glance, I asked myself, “What does this scripture have to do with me?” I am not perfect, and I am not sure that I will ever achieve full enlightenment. So how can Isaiah’s words include me in such a confident proclamation of God’s handiwork?

     To draw the meaning of this text from the page into the depths of my soul, I must make certain assumptions that help me discover the invitation within it. The passage reads as a powerful call to release my soul from bondage so that I may carry the joy of being a child of God into every facet of my life.

     Even so, my first assumption is that Isaiah’s proclamation feels unattainable for me. I do not feel worthy to approach God with such a strong witness to a transformed life. My struggle is that feelings of unworthiness can leave me blind to the reality of God’s handiwork in my life, and failing to see that work prevents my soul from claiming the power offered to me as a believer.

     As I continue to wrestle with the passage, I am led to the notion of free will. For me, free will is rooted in the reality that the ability to make choices is itself a gift from God. Each choice affects others, like a cascade of dominoes in which every falling piece touches the next and alters what follows.

     We are not islands, hidden away by ourselves. Each life alters the course of those around us. For believers in the Holy One, this means every decision should reflect God’s love, or agape. Perhaps the beauty of this passage lies in the awareness that, as the dominoes of life continue to fall, God’s presence remains.

     Perhaps the wonderful deeds are the dominoes themselves, faithfully falling and creating a hidden rhythm of God’s handiwork. Isaiah’s words remind us that the source of all life dwells within us, and at the center of every believer, praise and joy become the message we receive. For that I say, “Thanks be to God!”