WATCHWORD:
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: 1We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. 2 Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. 3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal. 5 He humbles those who dwell on high, he lays the lofty city low; he levels it to the ground and casts it down to the dust. 6 Feet trample it down—the feet of the oppressed, the footsteps of the poor. 7 The path of the righteous is level; you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth. 8 Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. Isaiah 26:1-8
Meditation:
Second City?
Do we really study the scripture? I’m part of a men’s bible study and we dig into books of the Bible chapter by chapter verse by verse but I wonder if we understand fully the context in which God has given us His Word?
For example, Isaiah chapter 26 is one of four chapters in the book of Isaiah (Chapters 24, 25, 26, 27) that center around the Lord’s ultimate judgment of wickedness. This from from a song of praise?
If we look at the prophet’s words we see he moves back and forth between a future celebration and the realities of the current day. It sounds a bit like our modern day situation. Torn between bounty and the threat of loss, between the haves and the have nots, between following the Lord’s will, and ignoring it.
I think in a real way we are so comfort-oriented that we would rather not get involved, and instead, we, figuratively speaking, pass by on the other side of the disadvantage and celebrate what we hold dear.
For four years my wife and I were volunteers at Heifer international at the ranch in Perryville AR. It was a great experience but, in retrospect, we could have carried out our responsibilities, shall we say, with a little more responsibility. Yes, in our role we talked about world hunger and the role that Heifer plays in feeding or providing necessary items to feed third world countries. But too often the happiness and the excitement that I saw on the faces of visitors as we gave tours was what you might see in a zoo or in a new nature experience, rather than an awareness that what they were seeing was part of the mechanics of reaching out to those who have very little.
In Isaiah 26 we see a contrast between two cities. One strong city, the rock eternal and salvation from God, where the gates are open and the righteous may enter, those who trust in God, all are candidates for peace.
The scene changes in verse 5 where we see a second city, humbled ,vulnerable, the result of pride graphically depicted along with the consequences that await those who trust in anything other than the living God. While the prophetic message of Isaiah was sounded thousands of years ago it compels us to examine ourselves to see if we’re sincerely trusting in God alone for our safety, for our desires and affections.
I wonder if we’re becoming the second city. If you build up fear in yourself and others to a certain point you begin to make poor choices; leaning towards safety, towards security, toward our comfort zone. Too often we turn our backs on the security that the Lord provides. We have begun to make compromises. It’s a slippery slope. I have no solution, short of turning back to the Lord. How about you?
In the early morning hours when I sit with the Lord in my private conversation, I feel a growing sense of security and safety, and threads of depression melt away. I’m not very good at translating that positive feeling throughout the next hours of the day. That time with the Lord is a refuge, it’s my hideaway. I protect it. Do you have a hideaway? Do you have a escape clause in your spiritual life? Only you can answer. May God bless our travels with the Lord. Amen.
Note:
One more time: My newest book, The Inn on Jericho Road, is available in hardcover, paperback and Kindle at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online bookstores. If you don’t shop online and would like a copy, contact me at https://bosworth30.com/contact/“. Stan Escott
Pray the 23 Psalm:
You Lord are my shepherd, with you I lack nothing. You offer me green pastures to bed down on. You lead me beside still waters of peace, this refreshes my soul. You guides me, Lord, along the right paths for Your name’s sake. Even though danger surrounds me, I have no fear of evil, for you are with me; your strong arm and Your Promises, they give me comfort and security. Your provisions are all there before, all my needs met in peace despite threats. You anoint my head with oil; I’m Your child, and my cup of gratitude overflows. Surely your graces and love will follow me into internal life with You, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.
