Trust!

Trust!

Isaiah 12:2 AMP

[2] “Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, For the Lord God is my strength and song; Yes, He has become my salvation.”

You do not usually associate Isaiah with songs or words such as the ones in the verse above. He was a prophet known for pronouncing the judgment of God upon the nation of Israel, and he was also privileged to speak about the coming Messiah. God is not the One to be put in a box or fully understood; there is an experience of God that is both personal and exclusive to everyone who seeks to walk with Him. Isaiah also had to have his own personal encounter with this God, and we know the impact this made to the ministry of Isaiah. If I will make impact and affect my generation, it will only happen on the back of this undeniable encounter. 

It was this personal encounter that made it possible for Isaiah to refer to God as his salvation. That was personal. There is a level you get to that you can no longer rely on another person's encounter with God. What do I know about God? When all else fails, and it appears I am on my own, what is the comfort I have that God never leaves me alone? Not only did Isaiah know this God; he was also willing and ready to draw the attention of his audience to this God. Am I proud of who I am, whose I am, and who I work for? Am I proud to be associated with a God whose power is undeniable, and whose wisdom is beyond searching out? 

Isaiah went on to speak about his response to this God. He said he will trust and not be afraid. Again, you do not pull these words from thin air; they come from a place of personal conviction. In a world that is becoming increasingly paranoid, it takes grace to look life in the face and be normal. So many things are going wrong around us, yet we are reminded that it pays to trust God. Trust is not easy; I am asked to trust the conviction in my heart that God can take care of any matter relating to me. Even when I do not understand the WHY behind WHAT I am experiencing, I still trust. Even when things do not make sense, God on my side is the only fact that makes sense. 

It is not a wonder, then, that Isaiah could sing about this God. Even in pain, can I sing? When things do not go according to plan, would I still sing? When tough times come, and it seems like I am beating against a wall, do I remind myself of the past goodness of God that I have experienced? Calling God my salvation means I have seen Him at work, and I am convinced beyond all doubt that He has got my back. He is my strength and song; He holds me up when everything else around me falls apart. He is and offers salvation to all who dare to surrender their lives to Him. How do you respond to this God? God's time of favour is here.