Day 254

Isaiah 8:1‐9:21; 2 Corinthians 12:1‐10; Psalm 55:1‐23; Proverbs 23:4‐5

Strength Through Dependency

“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” – Psalms 55:22 (NIV)

As we struggle with the increased secularization of our culture and the rapid increase of polytheism versus a relationship with Yahweh, our Heavenly Father, we become a more divided people, more distrustful and prone to look for conspiracies. It is the fruit of a spirit of confusion because we reject the Prince of Peace.

For those who truly believe in the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we can assess that we are fewer in number and thus weaker in our cultural influence. It can lead to despair unless we see it through the eyes of faith. Like Paul, who was at first frustrated with his “thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me,” and three times “pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me,” we can think that God might not be aware of our condition, of the shrinking of the visible church, or of our diminished influence over the cultural morality.

From Isaiah we read:

“The LORD spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said: ‘Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary.'” – Isaiah 8:11-14a

Like Paul we need to hear the Lord speak to us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Great days lie ahead for the advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Rev. Dr. Richard Bordin