I realize these first several verses are directed to Isaiah to keep him strong and uplift him while facing the trials prophets face. But didn’t you also sense the peace and assurance that came as if God was speaking directly to you? There is a lot going on in the world these days. If you listen to all the media reports and buy into their plots and those of movie makers, these words to Isaiah could be cautioning us, too. “Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them.” That word, conspiracy, seems to get tossed about more and more these days. We need to be careful, too.
Instead, this is what we should do and how we should be focusing our attention. “Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear.” Absolutely this! God isn’t to be feared as in afraid but as in awe and reverence. When we give God his rightful place in our lives, the right doors open, and the right messages arrive when we need them. God can use us, too, to be the messengers to others of his goodness and mercy. We should not be silent about how God is working in our lives. Other people are hungry and looking for this type of connection to their creator. Such hope and directions these verses give us, too!
Now the focus shifts for a moment to the people of Judah. The message had to be different for this audience. The reminder of doom was there for them. God’s disobedient children would not go unpunished. The sooner they realized that the better. They would stumble, fall, and be caught in a trap. Yet, the wise would ‘Preserve the teaching of God; entrust his instructions to those who follow me.” We are blessed to have the Bible. The people of Isaiah’s day had the law of Moses and word of mouth. It was up to the faithful ones to keep the message alive so that we would have it all these many centuries later.
God wants to hear our voices say, “I will wait for the Lord, who has turned away from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my hope in him.” God’s timing isn’t always our timing. In our heads, we know and probably even have said “God’s timing is always perfect.” Yet we get anxious. We may think we’re ready for more, but God knows our hearts. He knows what we are capable of. He wants us to succeed. We need to believe in ourselves as highly as God does. I have struggled with this and am working on tackling many of the stumbling blocks in my life. We all have those stories we tell ourselves, based on some event, that are only holding us back. I love helping people work through theirs so they come out on the other side with peace. What are you hoping for? Tell God and ask him what he has in mind.
We need to be careful of those “conspiracies.” There are many people who will look good, sound good, but not be good. What are you using as your “measuring stick” for good and bad? Isaiah’s words are telling. “Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.” God’s instructions and teachings are the perfect way to judge! Again, we are blessed to have God’s word so readily available to us. What does God say about our problem? Is the Bible in agreement with what we are hearing people say? If not, we should be carefully aware.
If you have ever yelled at God for what is happening in your life, I’m sure you realize you are not alone. “And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God.” People have been blaming God for their nasty situations for a long time! It’s more likely that we are exactly where we are today because of our own actions and decisions. Whether we involved God in those choices is another matter altogether. If only we could just ask God and get a response. Oh, but we can. God’s word is always a good place to go for confirmation of a decision. We shouldn’t want our actions to contradict Scripture. I am always amazed at how the answers I can get from Scripture apply to so many situations. God is so good in how he has provided for us. We shouldn’t let ourselves be too busy to see.
Take time today to truly be overcome with gratitude for how God is working, and has worked, in your life.
Let’s pray … Lord, I place my hope in you. I know you have my best interest in mind. You desire for my worship, and I want to follow you. Forgive me for those moments of frustration and anger when things don’t go my way. May I be reminded of your great sacrifice for me. May my attention shift to what is important and uplifting. Use me God and make my way clear. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
