CALM IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM

Leave a reply

 

CALM IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM

“If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established” (Isaiah 7:9b).

We are accustomed to seek God for issues that matter to us. We care about ourselves, our family, our church, our friends, our coworkers and our classmates. On some occasions we might care about what happens to our country. If our way of life is disrupted, we might get upset.

 God Does Care

Does God care about what goes on in the world He created? Does God care about MY world and YOUR world?

In 735 BC the nation of Israel was split into two unequal kingdoms. The northern kingdom (Ephraim, also called Israel) was larger, having ten tribes The southern kingdom (Judah) was much smaller with only two tribes.

Isaiah was God’s messenger whom God chose to help Judah focus on Him as their provider. His title was prophet. We might think of Isaiah as a chaplain or pastor. He frequently reminded these two tribes about God’s deep and abiding love for them. He also gave them sharp rebukes with compassion when the people and their leaders forgot about God.

Turmoil Today

Just as there is a lot of turmoil around the modern day nation of Israel, so there was civil unrest in the area back then also. In Isaiah 7 the area was experiencing blessed peace for the moment.

Fear in the Storm

Then Ahaz the king of Judah heard Israel was preparing to invade the capital of Judah, Jerusalem. Worse still, Syria was supplying Israel with additional troops (v. 1). The fear this imminent threat generated was like a tornado in the hearts of the king and his people. As trees bend in high wind, so the people and their king were moved with fear (v. 2).

At this point God rang the doorbell in Isaiah’s heart. God had a message for Judah, and He gave Isaiah GPS directions on where to find King Ahaz (v. 3).

God Controls

First, the king was to “take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted” (v. 4). Second, the enemies’ plan “shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass” (v. 7).

Despite their tremendous military advantage, Israel and Syria “could not prevail against” Judah on this occasion (v. 1). The explanation: God blocked the success of the enemy.

God offers Hope

When our personal lives are in turmoil, or our nation is under attack from internal or external enemies, God offers us hope.

David said in Psalm 27:13-14, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

By this means we will be established on God’s firm and unshakable foundation despite the storms that rage around us. May we back away from our problems today and trust in God. We can always be assured His plan is better than any plan of ours.

Shirley Logsdon

https://youtu.be/0YUGwUgBvTU Praise You in the Storm  Casting Crowns

This entry was posted in Shirley Logsdon on by .

About Shirley Logsdon

I am the only child of Christian parents who wanted me to know God personally as they did. One night during church we watched a movie depicting a family in their home accepting Jesus as their personal Savior. I was nine and realized then my desire to make Jesus my personal Savior. With the full support of my parents, I met with the pastor and prayed to receive Christ. A few years later, several of us around the same age began classes for our confirmation to become church members. The privilege of taking communion was a special time for me. . During my teenage years I was outwardly complacent, but was inwardly rebellious. I developed the nasty habit of disrupting harmony in the household by nitpicking at anything and everything. A preacher came to hold revival services at my dad’s church and nailed me silently with looks. This helped me tremendously. I turned a corner and began to respect and obey my parents in attitude and actions. I survived these years through prayer (mine, my parents and friends). The love and tenacity of my parents and God’s grace got me through these years of upheaval. I readily identify with David the Psalmist when he said in Psalm 25:7, “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to Thy mercy remember Thou me for Thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.” Because my parents provided a stable home life for me, when I went to college my Christian values remained intact. After completing my education in 1979, I started working. For a while, I worked at temp agencies, then I did odd jobs. I settled down in a secretarial position in 1986 working for a firm specializing in retirement plan administration. In 2007, I started working for a law firm, eventually becoming a knowledge management assistant in their law library, helping to alert attorneys to new business opportunities. I am a productive citizen of my country in large part because my parents prayed for me and made clear by word and example what they expected of me. I am extremely grateful to God for them. John 15:5 is my life verse: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.” I am confronted with this realization every day I live, and it helps keep me on the straight and narrow path. I met my future husband at church. After a few years of our two families getting acquainted, he and I started courting. We married at the church where we met, in the presence of many relatives and friends. We have been married for 29 years. My hobbies are reading, cooking, and canning or freezing what my beloved husband grows in the garden. Also, I thoroughly enjoy writing. While my writing has included poems, most of my writing has been letters to family and friends. I like to share my faith when I write and am fond of adding a Bible verse or two to help focus on the source of our life. Since I am now retired after working 38 years, I can concentrate on keeping up with birthdays. Something else I enjoy is studying the Bible, often with others. Blogging is a new form of writing for me. I am getting my feet wet and I’m beginning to enjoy the experience.

We would love to hear from you