A Real Refuge - Isaiah 32:2

Isaiah 32:2 Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm,
like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land. (NIV)

In Isaiah’s lifetime, life was very precarious because the people were subject to capricious kings and unjust sovereigns. God’s authority appeared to be usurped and the rulers of the day idolized themselves to such a degree that they led God’s people astray. The role of prophets like Isaiah was to interpret the times and let the people know that God was still in control. Despite the moral and religious failings of their kings, God’s presence was available to the nation and there would come a time when righteous rulers would shelter their subjects from injustice and release them from the emotional turmoil and spiritual wilderness that bad rulers and uncaring kings had caused.

God’s people were thirsty for justice and suffered under the harshness of their kings. They were meant to be a cherished religious nation where everyone served God and one another lovingly, fairly, and equally. Some of their kings understood that their role was to be an example of faithfulness to the people and that through their wise and benign rule, the people would prosper and the nation would be blessed. Other rulers though, treated their sovereignty as being sacrosanct, so they could not be held accountable nor confronted about their unjust ways. In such a climate, the people began to perish inwardly and lost their connection to God. Despair and desperation set in; truth was falsified and power was glorified. It was a morass of immorality which required God to send His prophets to speak out.

When Isaiah spoke about the coming of rulers of righteousness, he was letting his people know that God had not abandoned them and that those who spread malice, division, and discontent would pass away forever. In their place, would come kings of righteousness whose rule would restore the hope, strength, and confidence to God’s people. And ultimately, the last of those kings would be Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who would finally bring God’s justice to the oppressed, the powerless, and the meager in order to show and prove that love conquers everything and everyone.

Point to ponder

Where is Christ’s Spirit working for justice in our world today? How are we supporting and serving Him in that mission?

Prayer: Lord God, long ago You sent Your prophets to deal with unjust rulers and self-centered kings. You gave a word of hope to Your people that righteousness and truth would prevail, allowing them to remain confident in Your sovereignty over the whole Earth. Remind us of these blessings today. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome. 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s Psalm drawings based on a verse from Psalm 106. If you would like to view a larger version, click this link: Psalm 106.

Daily Devotions: Spiritual Downpour

How the outpouring of the Spirit in a church in Knoxville is helping a village in Guatemala get clean water.

Isaiah 32:15 …till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest.

Podcast version here:

In a couple of weeks, a small team from our church will be visiting a village in Guatemala. The group is on a mission to begin the process of providing a clean water well for the town. It will be based in a school that our church has been supporting for several years. The team members have been specially trained for the project and hopefully within a short time, the villagers will soon be able to drink and wash with clean water.

Clean water will help the children and their families live longer and better lives. It will enable the school to gain extra funds, for the locals will pay, just like ourselves, for clean water. It should have a remarkable social, medical, and economic impact on the whole community. Not only will the well save lives, it will positively change them.

At the same time as the Guatemalan villagers receive and enjoy their well, our own congregation will be looking for a similar spiritual experience. Our building and campus needs to be renovated, so our people will be called upon in this generation to sacrificially give in order to build a well of God’s Word that will influence, attract, and encourage new Christians in our community for years to come.

We await the coming of the Spirit amongst us with the same excitement and enthusiasm as the men, women, and children of that little Guatemalan village. As they receive the blessings of water, we hope to simultaneously receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to make our church a fertile field of faith for the future.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are the Water of Life and we thank You for allowing us the resources with which we can help a far away village receive the blessing of clean water. At the same time, we praise You for our own challenges and ask that You help us to focus on the spiritual future of our community. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

4 Minute Devotions: False Alarms

Have you ever had one of those days when you walked in the house and forgot to switch off the burglar alarm? Or you had the alarm on, and went to take the garbage out late at night, only to panic when all of the sirens, bells, and whistles screamed throughout the subdivision?

Hello, my name is John Stuart, and I’m an accidental alarmist.

It’s so embarrassing and you feel like an absolute fool. One moment the neighborhood is all quiet and cozy, and then it’s as if World War Three had broken out late at night. And you know what the neighbors are thinking: that Scottish twit has just set off his burglar alarm again.

For peace and security, most people invest in some sort of burglar alarm. They want to keep their homes free from any disturbance, break-in, or invasion. A burglar alarm guarantees that everyone in the neighborhood knows that something is wrong and the security people, who monitor the alarm, get ready to call the police if no one responds to their call.

We all want peace and security in our lives, whether it’s in our homes, at our school, or in our workplaces. We hate the stress and pressure of conflict and alarm, fear and trouble. We all just want to get on with our lives and be left in peace to enjoy our freedom, resources, and leisure.

Isaiah 32:17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

The Bible offers us these in two ways: from the Old Testament, Isaiah suggests that peace and security are the fruits of righteousness, which really means remaining absolutely loyal to God. If we are faithful to Him, then God will protect us from all sorts of trouble.

But the New Testament is slightly different. Paul states that if we want to experience the peace that surpasses all understanding, then we have to allow Jesus to guard our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7). In other words, Christ becomes for us the spiritual burglar alarm within our souls, so that when evil and temptation try to ruin our peace and upset our lives, Jesus gives us the strength, guidance, and courage to overcome them.

So, if we want real peace and security in our lives, we need to place our faith in God and let Christ rule our minds and hearts. Otherwise, we’re just setting ourselves up for fear and anxiety, worry and heartbreak.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all feel insecure, isolated, and irrelevant at times. Help us to hold on to Your promises and to look to You to bring the peace and security that we need in our hearts, minds, and souls. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.