29th July 201914th July 2019 Travis Snode

God Is With Us And That’s All That Matters – Isa 8

Devotions

When faced with difficulty, one of the greatest encouragements is to have someone there with you. Knowing that you are not alone is a huge help. For Judah, the promise God gives them in a very trying time is that He is with them (v.8-10).

The context was a northern confederacy of Syria and Israel that was threatening to invade Judah. This confederacy would be taken away by the king of Assyrian (v.1-4), who would be an even worse threat to Judah. Assyria would come up and completely surround Judah, but they would not overtake them (v.8). No matter how much the foreign nations came together, they would not previal. They would desire to crush Judah, but they themselves would be broken in pieces. The reason Judah would survive was because God was with them (v.10).

Despite the fear these mighty nations would have caused the people of Judah, they were told:

1. Don’t be afraid of them (v.12). Instead realise how awesome the Lord of hosts (armies) is and fear Him (v.13).
2. Trust in the Lord for sanctuary and protection, understanding that those who don’t will be crushed by Him (v.14-15).
3. Bind God’s Word on your heart and wait upon the Lord as true disciples (v.16-17).
4. Look only to the Lord’s revealed Word for guidance not to others sources (v.18-22).

So, for those who are God’s children, when you face fear and difficulty, let the words of God to Judah encourage you. The only One we really need to fear is the Lord. He can either be your salvation or your destruction. His Word should be our source of comfort and guidance even in dark days of fear and doubt. Let’s not allow any other sources of ‘light’ to deceive us.