Mar 11 2022

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.

In Isaiah 25, the prophet praises the Lord for the things He has done and looks ahead to what the Lord will do for His church. In this verse, we have a glimpse of the ultimate future for His church—the many things He will do that give us hope. Today, we'll look at these promises and think about what they mean for us.

The first promise in this verse is that death will be swallowed up. This came true through Jesus Christ 800 years after Isaiah's writings. Jesus was crucified, put in a tomb, and, three days later, He rose from the grave. He defeated death once and for all. Through His resurrection, Christ showed us that it does not make sense to be afraid of death—He has already conquered it. We have no reason to be afraid because we personally know the One who overcame it.

The next promise is that the Lord will wipe away tears from our faces. This means we get to look forward to a time when there will be no grief, no pain, and no suffering. Even though our current lives are difficult and messy and often painful, we can rejoice that we will someday be in the Lord's kingdom forever, where all pain bows down at His name.

Finally, we are promised that that rebuke of the Lord's people will end. This means all persecution against Christianity will stop. The persecution of the North Korean Christians will end. The burning down of churches in Africa by Boko Haram has a deadline. The martyrdom of many faithful Christians will stop at the name of Jesus.

This gives us hope in the midst of trials, and the promises are sealed in the Lord's name because he hath spoken it. The Lord has said these things and they will come to pass. Nothing will stop them. He is in control and will always be in control. All we have to do is wait and rejoice in the waiting.

Dear Lord, please help me to hang on to these promises when it seems as though everything is falling apart. So often, it seems as if your name is mocked instead of praised and that persecution is increasing. Lord, you are my hope, and I will rejoice in you until your kingdom comes and then forevermore. In Jesus' name, amen.

Mar 10 2022

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.:

David wrote Psalm 31 while King Saul was persecuting him. His writing included a mix of prayers, praises, and exhortations to others. Today's verse, the final line of the Psalm, encourages us to press on in our relationship with the Lord in all circumstances. Today we'll break it down to understand it more thoroughly.

The Psalm's first instruction is for us to be of good courage, meaning that we can have hope in the Lord. Even when it seems like all is lost, we have no reason to give up on the faithfulness of the Lord. Remember that God's battle plan was to march around Jericho seven times—and that battle was won! God doesn't work in the ways or through the means that we expect. He rarely works the same way more than one time. This is what makes a relationship with Him so exciting: we're always discovering new ways that God works! This can help us summon courage in even the direst of circumstances. We never know what His method of deliverance will be.

The Lord strengthens our heart when we make the decision to be courageous. Notice that the Lord responds to our decision. He does not force us to trust Him but instead leaves it up to us to choose the pathway that we should travel on. We have free will in all circumstances to choose our path, and the Lord will honor our decision by strengthening us—or leaving us alone. The choice is our own.

At the end of the verse, David specifies his audience: "all that hope in the Lord." In other words, God will strengthen those who hope in Him—which points to a certain exclusivity. The Lord does not strengthen those who don't wish to know Him. Instead, He strengthens those who have a relationship with Him. Think about it this way: If you reject the source of hope, that source cannot offer anything to you. In the same way, people who don't know God cannot experience the hope that He gives those who do know Him.

Like David, because we know the Lord, we can be strengthened in all circumstances and can endure all things. We do not have to live life on the defense, struggling to cling to our faith in the midst of suffering. Instead, we can call out to the Lord to strengthen us and believe that He will make us stronger in Him alone.

Dear Lord, I thank you for the strength that you offer me. You know the parts of my life and my spirit that are weak. Please reveal them to me and help me to walk with you in deeper and deeper commitment and love for you. In Jesus' name, amen.


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