Isaiah, whose name means “the Lord is salvation”, prophesied during the period of the divided kingdom. His message condemned the empty religious practices of his day and the idolatry into which so many of God’s people had fallen. He prophesied the coming Babylonian captivity of Judah as punishment for their lack of a relationship with the Lord, which created fear in the hearts of many of God’s people.

Although I think it is unlikely that we will come under the control of neighboring superpowers, we may face other situations in which we struggle to trust and not be afraid.

You may be required to work or serve under harsh conditions or for a demanding supervisor. You may face a financial challenge due to unemployment or health-related issues, or a host of other possible scenarios.

If the people of Israel were to trust God to deliver them from their opponents and the spiritual consequences of their own sins, we can trust him to deliver us as well. The question is how will we respond to challenging situations as we wait for God’s deliverance. Will we trust? Will we allow him to be our strength and our song? Will we share Christ’s message of salvation in our day as Isaiah did in his?

Let’s look at this prophet’s life of willing service and ask ourselves today: “Whose story are we writing and what do we want the next chapter to declare?”

Dear Father, if there is an area in our lives in which we’ve grown fearful, prune that tendency from our hearts. Use whatever means is necessary to restore our song and renew our spiritual strength. Amen.

Today's Challenge: Let’s examine our recent choices. Do they demonstrate a trust in God? If not, maybe today is a good day for us to begin writing the next chapter of our lives trusting him to be our deliverer, our song, and our salvation.



Tags: waiting on God Isaiah 12 trust God
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