Some battles are too big for us to fight. Cancer. Betrayal. Financial ruin.
Yet, even in the midst of such horrendous foes, we have a champion. We need not lean upon our arm of flesh; rather, we can trust in the arm of God to fight our battles for us.
In 722 B.C. the kingdom of Israel was destroyed, leaving Judah surrounded by the mighty kingdoms of Assyria, Egypt, and Ethiopia. In 712 BC God gave hope to the Jews in the midst of their downfall.
In Isaiah 20:1-6, God spoke through his prophet Isaiah, outlining his instructions in three easy to remember steps:
Step 1: We must loosen our sackcloth, and walk naked and barefoot before our enemy.
Clearly God did not intend for anyone to actually prance about naked. Rather, Isaiah was to forego his outer cloak as a sign that the enemy would be stripped of all its power, with not even a shirt left to wear. Isaiah’s actions before the people were to remind them of God’s redemptive power.
When God offers us his right hand, we should not claim any of the credit. Rather, all glory must be returned to the Father in heaven.
Step 2: Do not look to those in power over us for our help.
God is our refuge and source of strength. Those who appear to be mighty giants to human eyes will fall before the strong hand of God. Our enemies will tumble before our eyes, for God will lay them low.
When our enemies come at us from all sides, our only rescue is in God.
Step 3: We are to find our witness in the Lord.
When the victory is won, people will look to our powerful enemies, and they will see the destruction that God has brought upon them. They will cry, “We depended on such as these, and God has brought them low. How shall we escape from the hand of God?”
Our Christian witness will scatter our enemies, for in our testimony they will find the fear of God.
Israel trusted in their arm of flesh. They connived with their enemies in order to buy safety for themselves. It backfired, for their earthly benefactors failed them. It was only when God reached his hand down that true hope became theirs.
Righteousness and persecution often go hand in hand, but when we find our witness in the Lord, God will go ahead of us to fight our battles for us.
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Code: FD.FGO.E.25.13.vp
Rewind Wednesday: Originally Published July 25, 2013 in Hope