The book of Isaiah is filled with gloom and doom. Israel had not been faithful to the LORD God and their covenant with him. They were worshipping and serving other gods. And social injustice was rampant. As a result, God was going to bring foreign armies against them who would destroy the nation and carry off its people. The picture Isaiah painted was pretty bleak.
But then we find this ray of light.
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2 NIV)
Even amid the disaster that the nation had become and the bleak future they faced, Isaiah trusted in the Lord. And he expressed his confidence in the Lord’s salvation.
This is an easy expression of faith to make when circumstances around us are good. But what do you do when life gets hard? Does your confidence in the Lord’s provision evaporate? Or do you stand firm, trusting that the Lord will see you through it?
Follow Isaiah’s example. Trust God, and don’t be afraid. Hold to him as your strength and defense. And have confidence that he is your salvation. Not just when life is good. But even more so when life is rough.
Surely God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid.
And I have done that with many a tear in my eye because the losses of life have been significant.
I am thankful that we have one we can trust in. No matter what may come, he is faithful.