Who Are You Gonna Trust?
Opening Prayer
Good Lord, I put my trust in You first and foremost. There is no one else so worthy of it.
Read Isaiah 2:6-22
[6] You, LORD, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs. [7] Their land is full of silver and gold; there is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots. [8] Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made. [9] So people will be brought low and everyone humbled- do not forgive them. [10] Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from the fearful presence of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty! [11] The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. [12] The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled), [13] for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty, and all the oaks of Bashan, [14] for all the towering mountains and all the high hills, [15] for every lofty tower and every fortified wall, [16] for every trading ship and every stately vessel. [17] The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, [18] and the idols will totally disappear. [19] People will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from the fearful presence of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. [20] In that day people will throw away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made to worship. [21] They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from the fearful presence of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. [22] Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem? Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Reflect
What is the Lord condemning so strongly?It seems in affluent Western societies that trust is placed almost anywhere but in God. The mighty stock market or scientific and technological prowess are trusted to maintain our standards of living; medical care maintains our health, and military force protects our borders. It was much the same in Isaiah’s day: there was affluence (7), the latest technology and, in addition, the worship of idols (8). The people were superstitious, trusting in the horoscope rather than God, in the works of their hands, rather than in the One whose hands made everything. But a day is coming, says Isaiah, when all this will be tested: God has a day in store when humankind’s pride will fall (17). Such a day was also foreseen by Jesus (Matt. 24) and this day of judgment will surely come. But in each one’s life there are times, as our personal world is shaken, when the question arises of whom we will trust. Will we then do as Isaiah demands: stop trusting in mere human answers and look to God for salvation? Those who practice trust in God through the good times do not find it so difficult when their own solid ground shakes.
Apply
Do you need to trust in God for a situation you’re facing? If so, confess any reluctance and ask for help.
Closing prayer
Lord, help me to trust You above all else so that, whatever comes, I’ll be found standing strong in You.
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