Written ~ 12-03-2023
Isaiah 24:14-18
14 But all who are left shout and sing for joy.
Those in the west praise the Lord’s majesty.
15 In eastern lands, give glory to the Lord.
In the lands beyond the sea, praise the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
16 We hear songs of praise from the ends of the earth,
songs that give glory to the Righteous One!
But my heart is heavy with grief.
Weep for me, for I wither away.
Deceit still prevails,
and treachery is everywhere.
17 Terror and traps and snares will be your lot,
you people of the earth.
18 Those who flee in terror will fall into a trap,
and those who escape the trap will be caught in a snare.
Destruction falls like rain from the heavens;
the foundations of the earth shake.
Isaiah’s message should be how every believer feels about the world today. There are Christians throughout the world who are praising God just like you and me. But there is also sorrow, grief and treachery going on in the world as well. I can’t help but compare these verses to what is happening in Israel right now. Because we live so far away, sometimes it’s easy to turn a blind eye to the destruction and terror the people of Israel are living in every single day. Though we praise God for everything He has done for us, our hearts should be heavy for the people God has chosen as His own. We should be praying for them to come to know Jesus as their Lord and as Messiah. Right now they are fighting for the right to live and to protect their borders. But even though we see those terrible things happening in Israel, we need to be reminded that God is in control.
Our lives can get so focused on the troubles we go through, they can seem overwhelming and we wonder how we will get through and be free of whatever circumstances have us reeling. But really, our troubles are mild when compared to the countries who are at war with each other right now. There are people around the world who are fearing for their very lives at every turn. We need to bring our troubles to the Lord with praise on our lips, turn our attention to what is going on in the world and pray for those whose last day on earth might just be today, pray for Salvation. Keep this in mind, we will continue to see destruction and chaos throughout the earth, but God is doing powerful signs and wonders so people around the world will know He is the Almighty God and turn to Him.
Even if our hearts are heavy with the news of war, devastating earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters, we must praise God through it all.
Verses 24:11-13 talk about the remnant that is left after the destruction…
11 “…Joy has turned to gloom.
Gladness has been banished from the land.
12 The city is left in ruins,
its gates battered down.
13 Throughout the earth the story is the same—
only a remnant is left…”
In the world we live in right now, there will always be disagreements, extreme views on each side, people at each other’s throats because they want their point heard. It may feel as though everything has been turned upside-down, and like verse 24:12 says, “…left in ruins…” But there will be those of us who survive whatever we are going through. Even though turmoil is all around us, we can be the remnant who lifts our praises to the Lord.
Verses 24:14-16,
14 But all who are left shout and sing for joy.
Those in the west praise the Lord’s majesty.
15 In eastern lands, give glory to the Lord.
In the lands beyond the sea, praise the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
16 We hear songs of praise from the ends of the earth,
songs that give glory to the Righteous One!
I’ve been talking about the state of the world we live in, but what about your personal life, and the things you are going through right now? The goings on in the world seem so far away, it may not feel relatable to you, your own life feels like everything has been uprooted and you don’t know what’s around the corner. Things have crashed all around you, joy and gladness escapes you right now. It may feel like all is lost. But God is still in control even if you don’t feel His presence at the moment. He has been there the whole time waiting for you to look to Him with praise on your lips. As hard as that may be in your circumstances, praise must be on your lips. Even if you feel like you are the only one left standing, it’s time to “…shout and sing for joy…” it’s time to “…praise the Lord’s majesty…” it’s time to “…give glory to the Lord…” it’s time to “…praise the name of the Lord…” and “…give glory to the Righteous One!…” In the midst of all your trouble, your pain, your disappointment, the Lord God Almighty must be acknowledged and praised. Even if not one of your circumstances changes, what will change is your internal attitude. When praise is on your lips at all times, there is increasingly less room for depression and sadness or anger to rule your heart. When things don’t seem to be going your way, whose “way” are you trying to follow? Following our hearts, our sinful nature will always lead us to destruction and helplessness. We must turn to the Lord in all things, our feet are to be planted firmly in the Word of God. If reading and studying the Scriptures has not become a daily part of our lives, how can we truly know the will of God? God speaks directly to our hearts through His Word, if we aren’t going to read it, then how can we expect to hear His voice? When we look past all the “stuff” clouding our hearts and minds, are we reaching for the Holy Word of God to guide our next steps? Look at what it says in Isaiah 26:1-4, if we are able to remain strong and faithful in the Word of God during our trials and tribulations we will rejoice!
1b Our city is strong!
We are surrounded by the walls of God’s salvation.
2 Open the gates to all who are righteous;
allow the faithful to enter.
3 You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in You,
all whose thoughts are fixed on You!
4 Trust in the Lord always,
for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
If we trust in the Lord wholeheartedly, if our thoughts are solely fixed on the Lord, He will keep us in His Perfect Peace. We will be strong in our faith, we will be surrounded by the Lord’s Salvation. We will have the Eternal Rock to lean on and to provide a resting place when we need it. Trusting in the Lord shouldn’t be conditional. If we only praise the Lord when something good happens, we are kinda missing the point of what the word trust means! Our thoughts need to be fixed on the Lord, during the good or the bad.
Trust in the Lord always…
~AMEN~