A Call to Trust The Lord

 

"The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does."       Isaiah 8:11 

 Good news and encouraging words are valuable commodities at this time in our world.  Some days feel like we are drowning in wave after wave of bad news.  Fear can become a constant, droning hum in the background of our lives.  It can be the driving force behind our motives and our decisions.  We look around for something or someone to change our minds, to restore our hope.  What we often find is the same fear, discouragement, and hopelessness reflected back in the faces of others. We seek the encouragement and peace we so desperately need. But, to where and to whom are we looking? 

The prophet Isaiah was God's messenger to King Ahaz of Judah as they faced a great enemy invasion.  Understandably, the people of Judah were fearful, full of dread and anxiety.  They, like us, heard the rumors, threats, and lies of the enemy. So what was God's message to His people in this situation so similar to our own?

"Don't call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don't live in dread of what frightens them. Make The Lord of heaven's armies holy in your life. He is the One you should fear. He is the One who should make you tremble. He will keep you safe." Isaiah 8:12-14a

Did you catch that? "don't live in dread of what frightens them." The key word there is "them". Who is "them"? Simply put, "them" included anyone who had taken their eyes off of God and focused on whatever they feared (i.e. the enemy). Ouch! Can you relate? I can! As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been called to be "salt and light" in this world, bringing the preservation and light of the Savior.  We are also instructed to "conform not" to this world. Though everyone around us may be fearful, focused on the what-is and the what-ifs, we are to keep our focus on The Lord Jesus. We are not at the mercy of our circumstances, our unknown future, a virus, our government, or any other weapon of the enemy of our souls. We are in God's capable, loving hands. He is our refuge and our sanctuary. 

Finally, Isaiah issues God's warning against seeking peace and encouragement from the wrong source.

"Someone may say to you, 'Let's ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.' But shouldn't people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Look to God's instructions and teachings! People who contradict His word are completely in the dark."

We have no shortage of voices clamoring to advise us. In the age of technology we can sit in our recliners and order the latest self-help book to our door. We can post our questions on social media and as fast as we hit post the masses flood our feed with their expert opinions. We can even dial up a psychic medium, for a small fee, who will  map out our future for us.

And yet, peace alludes! Why? It alludes us for the same reason that a square peg can't be jammed into a round hole.  Peace is not a feeling or a state of being. Peace is a person and His name is Jesus. Only Jesus can fill that hole.  When all around us and in us is turmoil, fear, and anxiety, the Prince of Peace woos us with His love. He says, "Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29

We have two choices in troubling times.  We can "think like everyone else does" in fear, anxiety, and hopelessness or we can look to Jesus, "the One who should make you tremble. He will keep you safe."

Choose peace. Choose Jesus.