Isaiah 22

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Because of the importance of Israel and its people, and my personal love for The Land, I’m inviting you to join me through the key Old Testament book of Isaiah.  Each day I’m posting some simple thoughts about this complex prophet.

Isaiah 22.

Verse 11 brings us wisdom and caution: “You looked and looked and looked, but you never looked to him who gave you this city, never once consulted the One who has long had plans for this city.” (v11, MSG).

I’m reminded of Proverbs 16:9: “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.”

We must always, always consult, pray, ask and seek God’s counsel as we make decisions. And trust Him as He leads. How do we know it’s Him leading versus us following our own ways? That’s a great question! I wrestle with it daily, especially in seasons of uncertainty. His ways will always line up with Scripture. And, we are to seek the counsel of those who know us, who may be able to see another angle, and who might be able to affirm or offer other thoughts — also through the lens of Scripture.

Another favorite Proverb: “With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment. Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, CEV).

So, whenever you have a big decision to make, or even daily as you seek to walk where God leads, consult Him. Follow His ways. Discover His best for your life!

(c) 2020. Rich Ronald.

God watches over you.

Posted on by richlyspeaking

Isaiah 31 begins with the admonition to put our trust in God alone. Don’t trust in Egyptians or Americans or your boss or your favorite sports team. They will fail you. They are mere humans.

“You are in for trouble if you go to Egypt for help, or if you depend on an army of chariots or a powerful cavalry. Instead you should depend on and trust the holy Lord God of Israel.”
Isaiah 31:1 CEV

We’ve seen throughout Isaiah the encouragement to trust God! Why? Because as verse 2 reminds us: God does what He says. He keeps His promises.

And then there’s this:

“I, the Lord All-Powerful, will protect Jerusalem like a mother bird circling over her nest.”
Isaiah 31:5 CEV

One translation says “like a huge eagle…”

God has a special place in His heart for Jerusalem and its people. And for those who believe Jesus is the Messiah, we are those people, included in that group, thanks to His “grafting us in” via the cross and the empty tomb! So, we can say that God has a special place in His heart for you and me. And like an eagle or a mother bird, He will watch over us and protect us!

I’m reminded of this beautiful Psalm:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Psalms 121:1‭-‬8 NIV

He is watching over you today! He sees your hopes, dreams, challenges and struggles. He will lead you to straight paths, meadows of rest and streams of living water.

He loves you and is proud of you. You can trust Him. We can trust Him together.

©️ 2019 Rich Ronald.

Trust God. Period.

Posted on by richlyspeaking

Psalm20

David writes in Psalm 20:7:

Some trust in chariots, some in horses, but we will trust in the name of the LORD our God.

A chariot combined with a horse was one of the most powerful weapons of war in King David’s day.  The first six verses of the psalm suggest it is penned for the person who is in trouble or who needs to be rescued. Some have called this psalm a prayer for victory. When life has you against a wall, where is the source of any true triumph? It is only in trusting the LORD; it is only in trusting God.

Do you see what David did there? Look at the chariots. They are man-made objects. Sometimes we can trust in those kinds of things, right? Our homes. Our cars. Our jobs. Even our churches.

But these are things that all have the potential to fall apart, rust, disappear or even close.

Or how about the living things like the horses? How often have we trusted in people only to have them fail us? Our spouse. Our children. Our boss. Our parents. Our friends. This list is endless because people are people. Often selfishness tends to put our wants before others’ needs. As a result, we don’t live up to expectations.

There is only One to whom we can confidently put our trust in: God. He will never fail us. He will never disappoint us. He will not fall apart on us or disappear. He will answer you “with the victorious power of his right hand.” (Psalm 20:6).

Certainly, it is important to build your marriage on trust or maintain the roof so rain will not leak into your house. Whether it’s a catastrophe or a minor offense, we will be let down by both the living and inanimate. “The chariots will rust and the horse will pull up lame.” (Psalm 20:7 MSG).

But we can confidently trust God! Period. He knows us and knows what is best for us. You can trust Him. You can! And, the victory we have in God’s economy is this: “God blesses everyone who trusts Him.” (Proverbs 16:20 CEV).

 

(c) Rich Ronald. 2019.