Trust in the Lord
Scripture: Isaiah 31:1 (ESV)
Woe
to those who go down to Egypt for help
and
rely on horses,
who trust in chariots
because they are many
and
in horsemen because they are very strong,
but do not look to the
Holy One of Israel
or
consult the Lord!
Devotion:
Let us turn to the prophet Isaiah
for more wisdom. This scripture warns those who seek to rely on the strength of
military power alone to provide safety. No one who trusts in weapons of war to
bring peace will prevail in the long run. Today, our world seeks a mighty
fighting force equipped with the latest war-making technology and machinery. Those
who seek protection from God are seen as hopelessly behind the times. In today’s
scripture, the Israelites were seeking an alliance with Egypt to provide them
security as the armies of Assyria threatened them.
Today, our society has military
alliances for mutual security between the parties. We are not so different from
the people Isaiah addressed. Just as they sought Egypt's help, America formed
NATO for its defense. After the mid to late twentieth century, America impressed
itself and the world with the strength of its armed forces. It seemed America
was a world power with only one real rival, the Soviet Union. However, America
should have realized that its security was not from the works of humans but God's
providence.
We are living in difficult times.
Wars rage overseas, and domestically, we are alienated from each other because
of class, race, and politics. These domestic troubles seem to be leading to the
possibility of civil war. The world seems to be enveloped in darkness, leading
to the breakdown of all the institutions we depend on to bring us life and hope
for the future. Even the church is in a difficult place, torn apart by struggles
inside and pressures from the outside. Its future seems grim. All this is
happening because we have gone our own way and have not looked to God for help.
What, then, should we do? First, we must
seek God’s will for us as a country. Our problems, both overseas and
domestically, are such that human wisdom alone will not be effective in solving
them. We must dig into the word of God deeply and prayerfully, asking God’s help
and favor to end the scourge of violence and hatred that has wrapped itself
around our lives. As a church, we need likewise to seek God’s counsel and
guidance. We need to ask God to help us be peacemakers both between the nations
and between neighbors. Let us pray for God’s presence and light in this present
darkness.
Prayer:
Lord, we bring the world and
ourselves before your throne today. All of creation is not as it should be, and
humanity may be on the brink of disastrous conflict. Teach us to walk in the
path laid out for us by Jesus. All Jesus said and did was only what was good
for the building up of the kingdom of God on earth. May we be likewise
dedicated to the task of kingdom-building and peacemaking. Amen.
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