Even in the Mess

Isaiah 26 (click here to read the passage)
 
Ok, remember that as we read Isaiah chapters 24-27, the main goal is to answer a big question, “Why trust the nations when all of history is in God’s hands?”
 
We gain further insight and discernment into this question and its answer in chapter 26, a song of praise for what the Lord has done and how the Lord has worked throughout history.  The chapter is a bit difficult to get a handle on because the chapter frequently moves between the past, present, and the future.
However, in this chapter, God is exalted as sovereign over all things, and therefore God alone is to be trusted.
 
I especially love verses 8-10 as they talk about the author waiting for God and yearning for the Lord and His righteousness.  “Waiting,” in case you’re wondering, is not simply going on “stand-by” mode and doing nothing until something happens.  Biblical “waiting” is this active pursuit of knowing, loving, and serving the Lord.  So to wait on the Lord is to pursue knowing His heart and mind, His will, and direction for us in our context and circumstances.
 
Verses 10-11 are interesting.  The verses point to the truth that grace is available to the wicked; however, in the absence of repentance, grace is counterproductive, and the wicked will persist in doing evil if they have not humbled themselves before the Lord.  The good the wicked experience means nothing to them if their hearts are not humble before the Lord.  That’s something we see with Jonah when he calls the Assyrians to repent.  The Assyrians heed the call to repent (to Jonah’s disappointment), but it isn’t long before they go back to their wickedness and ultimately destroy the northern kingdom of Israel.
However, these verses reveal the constancy of God in His heart, love, and passion for His creation, not desiring the destruction of people, but their redemption.  However, we must understand that it is only a person’s persistence of hardheartedness that leads to destruction; in other words, it’s their decision to reject the love and grace of God that leads to their undoing.
 
But then, just when we think things are completely out of control, verses 11-15 assure us again that in the end, the Lord is sovereign; nothing is outside His vision, knowledge, understanding, or justice, and He will reign, fulfilling all of His promises.
 
So we circle back again to our main question.  “Yes”, the world is a mess, “yes,” the culture is going crazy (as it has throughout history), “yes,” there are incredibly difficult and destructive things which are happening all around us, “yes,” there is injustice and wickedness which appears to go unnoticed and unchecked in the world…,
BUT GOD
 
God is faithful, righteous, gracious, generous, and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.  He is sovereign and reigns over all His creation.
In verse 19, we once again have the crimson whisper of Jesus as Isaiah speaks of the promise of the resurrection.  In Jesus, through the victory of His resurrection, even though everything else around us may be a massive mess, the good news is that the mess holds no victory over us, and even death, the ultimate enemy of all, death does not have the last word.  God does.
 
So again, I ask the question, “Who are you going to trust in the midst of all the crazy, out-of-control mess of our culture, our world, and perhaps even your personal life?”
 
I believe you know the right place where your trust and hope belong—in Christ alone, the one who has loved you even before you were born, the one who continues to love you before you can recognize or acknowledge that love each and every day, the one who will patiently and lovingly draw you to Himself as you draw near to Him.
God bless you, and know that I am praying for you constantly.
Scott