Tuesday Reflection – July 24, 2018

Tuesday Reflection – July 24, 2018

Watchword Text: Isaiah 31:6
Author: @Bevon White
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xOB06h7SRE&feature=youtu.be

Greetings friends,

Misplaced trust is easily understood by those hurt by deep betrayal. When someone we love and care about turns to a complete stranger for the assistance which we were both willing and able to give, we will feel a sense of betrayal as we wonder why they did not trust us enough to come to us. Today’s Watchword is a call for Israel to return to God, having betrayed God by looking to others for the help that God alone could give to them. Turn back to the Lord whom you have deeply betrayed. Isaiah 31:6. God was displeased with his people because when the Assyrian army approached from the North, they looked to Egypt in the South to save them from the threat. They trusted Egypt’s military might more than they trusted the Almighty God who had brought them out of slavery in Egypt and established them in the promised land. They abandoned the God who had stood by their sides through thick and thin, who had delivered them from hunger, from thirst, and from enemies in the wilderness. Even in this sad situation God promised to protect and deliver a penitent Jerusalem, issuing a challenge to His people to return to Him and repent of their betrayal.
There are two truths that we can hold on to as we contemplate whether we should trust God or the world around us.
Firstly, God is always there for us. Psalm 46: 1, reminds us ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble’. We live our lives in God’s presence. He is never far from us and so will always be aware of what we face. At no point should we ever feel alone. As the Assyrian army marched on Judah they felt abandoned and forsaken thus they began to look elsewhere for help. They failed to realize that God was right there, ready and willing to come to their rescue. All they needed to do was set their minds on God and ask. Sometimes we too are overwhelmed by the situations we face and think that we need to find solutions on our own. Friend the fact that we are never alone is an indicator that we will never need to face any situation by ourselves. Remember Jesus’ promise to us, ‘I will be with you always, even to the end of time’.

Secondly, we can trust God to deliver us. Judah’s mistake was in trusting Egypt more than they trusted God. Egypt would fail in their first attempt to stop Assyria and as a result Judah ended up in deep trouble. We have to be careful that we do not think of worldly might as being more than God’s might. Egypt had chariots and horses and so they were a great force to match against the advancing Assyrians, but they were not enough. Why settle for less than enough when our God is more than enough? Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7. To turn back to the Lord is therefore to pledge undying trust in His ability. It is to accept that there is none like Him to save and deliver us. Like Judah, you may be surrounded by advancing enemies. You may be caught up in situations that seem hopeless and are trying your best to find solutions. Let me invite you to look to the Lord our God who is mighty to save, whose grace is sufficient and who is able to keep us until the day of His return. To look anywhere else is a betrayal and abandonment of God and like Judah we will be called to repent and return so that God can act for us. You can replace your worry and fear with trust in God so that you will never fall into such a position. Amen.
Bevon White