Isaiah 33:2, 22 NIV
Lord , be gracious to us;
we long for you.
Be our strength every morning,
our salvation in time of distress.
For the Lord is our judge,
the Lord is our lawgiver,
the Lord is our king;
it is he who will save us.
This chapter is a call to fear God, trust him and live in holiness despite the threats and difficulties the people of God are presently facing or will be facing. Essentially it is a call to live now in light of the future kingdom, or as the old hymn says, "With eternities values in view."
What does it mean to fear God? It means to recognize his fierce awesomeness. It means to tremble in his presence rather than in the presence of our enemy. It means to cry out to him in utter dependence, and more. We are to fear God not man. We are to fear God not circumstances. We are to fear God not the horrors of our imagination. In the end it is God before whom we will kneel. It is God to whom we will answer. It is God who is our hope and strength.
That leads us to trust. What does it mean to trust God? It means more than the ability to pass a theological exam about his power, strength and sovereignty. It means that the fear of all those threats to life, liberty and happiness begin to fade. It means that I begin to see life through the lens of his sovereign power rather than through my mortal weakness. It means that threats become opportunities for witness and ministry, and weakness becomes an opportunity for the strength of God to shine.
That brings us to holiness. How do people of fear and intimidation live? They live in compromise. They live by taking polls to see what other people think. They live spineless even when appearing to stand strong. On the other hand, people who fear God and trust him have nothing to prove and nothing to protect. They have nothing to hide. They live in the light and their lives are characterized by holiness no matter what the current culture demands, no matter what political pressure is brought to bear.
For the Lord is our judge,
the Lord is our lawgiver,
the Lord is our king;
it is he who will save us.
Father, forgive me for settling for anything less than fear of you, trust in you and holiness for you. Today may I live in light of your kingdom.
By His grace,
Rick
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