. . . and be at peace!

 

 

READ Isaiah 25–28

Yesterday was long. We landed late and went to bed well after midnight. Body clocks had us up early. I resumed my exercise routine and household chore list. However, I’ve been elected to an executive position of a local guild and the meeting is in two days — meaning required reading of pages and pages of bylaws and policies. Also much to do after a short trip, but the day went well and I slept well. However, I woke up tired and achy, not feeling tops. I walked by a picture my sister painted of the two of us. Grief hit me; she died in 2020. I prayed, hoping today’s Scripture reading would lift the heaviness that had descended. This is what I read first . . .

He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:8–9)

Not instant joy, but God’s way of reminding me that Janet is with Him, without tears and we will be together again. Even so, I still felt a bit heavy. Then God gave me this:

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26:3–4)

Changing the pronouns is easy, yet turning my mind from me, myself and my sorrows, aches and pains is not instant. I need to acknowledge to God that my pity-party is a sin and how much I need His grace. Doing that changed the direction of my thoughts, helped by the next section that turned me to pray for those who need to see the goodness of God:

The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous. In the path of your judgments, O Lord, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of the Lord. O Lord, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed . . . . (Isaiah 26:7–11)

This sequence of events and emotions on my part and God’s clear and orderly response on His part lift my spirits in the reality of His presence and care. Who but God could address my situation with such precision, such grace for the thoughts in my mind?

The rest of the reading has many sections beginning with “In that day . . . .” indicating future events. These begin right after this statement:

Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain. (Isaiah 26:20–21)

I sense the Lord telling me to hide myself in Christ, not be concerned about the mess the world is in, not worry about all that needs to be done, but live with assurance that Jesus will take care of evil and also His people — and all my needs, including my physical aches and pain, emotional distresses, and spiritual discouragements.

He promises: “And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem . . . . In that day the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people, and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate . . . . Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’ And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies . . . .”

This “comes from the Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom” and every day He proves to me that I can focus on Him and be at peace!