Just as cramming for an exam is ineffective so also is a life without a fear of God. How do we learn to fear God? We must know God by learning who He is. We must ”Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16  By looking back upon who God is and what He has done throughout the lives of those who have gone before us we learn to fear Him. This fear is birthed out of our reverent love for God. Listen to God and find hope in Him.

The people of Israel consistently wandered from their devotion to God. The things of life continually crowded into their lives and upon the slippery slope of apathy and lethargy idols took the throne of their lives. The wonderful truth that God was faithful regardless of the actions of the Israelites is our hope. God worked to redeem Israel and myself, even as we were in our sinful state. What do we do when we find ourselves wandering? What happens when our devotion seems to wain? We must first and foremost remember that God is the faithful constant. We are the ones who wander, waver, and wain. Remember that the path traveled is governed by God. He enables us to walk in Him. Rest knowing that your life is in His hands. Your present circumstances may not transform in an instant but your outlook will be at peace in Him.

“Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” Isaiah 66:1,2  What did you note from verses 1 and 2? There is a great truth that is destined to bring encouragement. Our identity is defined in these verses. ”For as new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the LORD.” Isaiah 66:22,23 The thought is repeated at the close of Isaiah 66. Can you see the hope given?

In the midst of the minutia a simple fact is given. God made all that was, is, and will be. Can you understand this marvelous fact? All that we see is ordered and created by God. This world is not a chaos driven roller coaster ride that we just have to endure. God is in control and His existence is our hope. There are a great many details that Christians will choose to debate but it is of greater importance to dwell and meditate on the truth that God was, is, and will be our everything. There is no need, desire, or longing that cannot be satisfied by knowing God. What needs do you have? Are there desires that overwhelm you? Has this broken world caused you to long for more? Turn to God and you will find satisfaction.

Do you wish for a time such as the ones of the Bible where God was evidently seen by a pillar of fire and His glorious presence could be experienced in a very tangible way? You are not alone; In the days of Isaiah the people of Israel were looking back upon their past desiring to know God in the ways that their forefathers did. ”Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence- as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil- to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.” Isaiah 64:1-4  Why do we desire the days of yesterday’s faith? As we look back on the faith of our predecessors it is easy to look at the highs of life and think that there were never any times despair or trouble. Could that truly be the case? Can any man or woman live a life of perfect devotion to God?

As we see in Isaiah 64 and 65 humanity is prone to evil and idolatry as our sinfulness strives against God. We are deluded and disillusioned into believing that we can never be complete in God. The twisted lies that the devil has devised against our souls are effective and alluring. We are easily led away from God and towards the life of despairing depression. We need to fix our eyes on God. We need to remember that Jesus Christ died for us, Jesus Christ rose from the grave for us, Jesus Christ live to intercede for us. We must remember as the remnant of Israel did in their exilic captivity that God is faithful and hope is constant within Him. No matter where in life you must trust God.

Does God restore lives? Does God heal? Does God bring wholeness? ”They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD, and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the LORD.” Isaiah 65:22-25  Will you trust God to make you whole and complete? God will where you cannot. Trust Him.

“Look down from heaven and see, from your holy and beautiful habitation. Where are your zeal and your might? The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion are held back from me.” Isaiah 63:15  Lord Remember your people. We live in a reality that we cannot fully know you or wholeheartedly follow you. We glimpse you but often find trinkets and trophies we’ve collected blocking our sight. Remove the idols in our way that we may see you. ”For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.” Isaiah 63:16  We are apart of a great story Lord. We can easily feel lost in the void of time that has elapsed since you openly showed your glory. Let us realize that we see your glory all surrounding and your power is evident in the complex simplicity of your creation. ”O LORD, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage.” Isaiah 63:17  Lord we are so prone to wander from your goodness and truth. We need your help Lord. It is only in your provision and power that we can live, breathe, and move. Let us fear you and trust in your hope.

If your faith has become a race in which you have lost sight of God what can you do. What hope is there for those who have become so entangled in their self-built religion? What if you feel that you have strayed from God? “Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” Isaiah 58:9-11 Will you cry out to God? Will you desire that your heart be burdened for Him? Will the hungry of the world burden you? Do the aching hearts of the people of the world cause your heart to ache? Ask God to burden your heart to reach out to a hurting world to be His light in the darkness.

Have you placed your hope in God? Is the dilemma that you face one of trust and dependence? “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,’ declares the LORD. ‘And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD: ‘My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore.’” Isaiah 59:20,21  A redeemer came through Israel to the world. Jesus Christ lives today so that you may live tomorrow. The first step toward being a light in the dark world is for you to see the light yourself. Will you trust that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty of sin for you?

The beauty of God’s grace is that it is not and exclusive club that requires premium membership. The wonderful salvation of God is available to everyone who calls out to God. Isaiah 56 proclaims the all inclusiveness of God’s grace. “Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, ‘The LORD will surely separate me from his people’; and let not the eunuch say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’ For thus says the LORD: ‘To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.’” Isaiah 56:3-5  God defines worth where there is worthlessness. God displays His faithful grace to the broken of this world. God includes those who dwell on the fringe of society, culture, and acceptance. Even when the battle lies in our mind God destroys the voice of doubt and proclaims worth. Are you filled with hope because of God?

Are you an enemy of God? Do you believe that you can do anything you set your heart towards? Has pride overtake your life? You are living a life that will not last forever. God promises that He will not strive against the evil of this world forever. “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of life that I made.’” Isaiah 57:15,16

The time has come for you to choose today who you will serve. I cannot make you decide today to follow God. The choice is yours to make. God may be the ethereal being to you who exists only in thought but I challenge you to dwell upon the truths found in Scripture. I challenge you to cry out for help. God restores. God renews. God loves. Turn aside from your life of idols and seek out God.

The answer to finding hope in despair is found in Isaiah 54. Hope for the hopeless. Joy for the downcast. Love for the unloved. “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. For the LORD has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God.” Isaiah 54:4-6  We are complete only when we are with God. There is no other thing in heaven or on earth that will satisfy the desires of our hearts. We must identify ourselves with God alone.

Do you have to win this wonderful completeness that is found in God? Do we have to start this process and get to the benchmark of success before God will acknowledge us? “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” Isaiah 55:1,2  The wonderful truth of God’s love is present in Isaiah 55. Come and drink anyone who thirsts. Come and drink freely no money can buy this drink because there is no price. The love of God is freely given. The idea of something being free is contrary to the ideologies we encounter on a daily basis. The world tells us that we must work hard to fulfill all of our desires. God is telling us that we need not toil for His love because it has been extend towards us long before we ever knew we were desiring that great love. Do not waste your life striving to make yourself complete. Trust in God alone to make you whole.

Listen to the words in Isaiah. Realize these words are speaking to your condition. Will you seek the LORD while he may be found? Will you call upon him while he is near? God is ever present and waiting for you to come to Him. You need not clean up your life before coming to Him. Will you start your journey of faith? Do you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sin? Today can be the beginning of your hope filled future. Will you trust? Will you believe?

“My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands hope for me, and for my arm they wait. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.” Isaiah 51:5,6  Once, for all time Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin and transgression. We must abide in the wonderful truth found in the cross of Calvary. God has taken hold of His own people and His work will never falter or diminish. ”Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who will declare me guilty? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up. Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.” Isaiah 50:9,10

Take the words of God to heart and find peace for your weary soul. When your health fades away. When your money cannot buy happiness. When love fades over time. Remember the words of God, “I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of the oppressor, when he sets himself to destroy? And where is the wrath of the oppressor? He who is bowed down shall speedily be released; he shall not die and go down to the pit, neither shall his bread be lacking. I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar- the LORD of hosts is his name.” Isaiah 51:12-15 Will you trust in the Lord? Will you trust in the provision of Jesus Christ? This is who you are.

We should not be so quick to disassociate and dissolve ourselves from the knowledge and relationship with God that we were created to abide within. Throughout Scripture we see that God is working out His purpose for His glory. ”For my name’s sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.” Isaiah 48:9-10  Can you sense the power, authority, and splendor of God? Our lives are trivial exercises in futility compared to the mere eternal existence of God.

The marvel of God is that He takes an interest in mankind. We are complete failures that God deems precious. The intent of God that is documented through scripture tells of His desire to restore mankind from his rebellious nature. Time after time we rebel against God as we waiver and seek to be our own god. Throughout our disobedience God remains faithful and true. ”Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea; your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before me.” Isaiah 48:18,19  What would our live be like if we fully submitted to God? Would all that we would deem loss be truly lost? ”Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.” Isaiah 49:13  We cannot begin to fathom what God is purposing to do through us.

Will you give up the fight that is occurring within your soul and abdicate the throne to God? Can there be anything that will keep God from working in our lives? Can His nature be thwarted? “Can the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? For thus says the LORD: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children. I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. Then all flesh shall know that I am the LORD your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” Isaiah 49:24-26  Will you take hope knowing that God is working? Not even your sinful nature is strong enough to thwart God. Will you abdicate the throne of life? Your life and existence depends upon your answer.

“Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.” Isaiah 46:8-11  God is actively working all around us. We cannot and should not presume to think that we have any impact on the events of life. We only endure because God enables us to endure. “Listen to me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from righteousness: I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory.” Isaiah 46:12,13 Will you trust in God for your hope and salvation?

Can you see the hope that is found in the promised salvation of God? We can live, move, and breathe because this life is not the summation of life. We have so much more in store for us as we hope in God’s salvation. The beauty of God’s salvation is that is does not depend upon us. God grants us eternal life because He desires us to have it. Take delight and pleasure in the promise of God. Do not become weighted down by the ways of life but rise above worry as you cling to the truth that God is in control.