By Ellen Ceely
“‘Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.’ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.’” - Isaiah 12:2-6
So many things compete for my attention, loyalty, and trust on a daily basis. I often look for security in money, friendship, or work. Sometimes even the food I eat, the clothes I wear, or the schedule I maintain can become a source of comfort and security.
The problem is that at any given moment all of those things could collapse. None of these things are bad or something I shouldn’t want and have. Nevertheless, they’re also not truly secure. My salary could disappear, friends could desert me, and I could lose my job. As someone who struggles with chronic migraines, I’ve seen my schedule destroyed time and time again, and there’s very little I can do about it.
Our Canticle this week, from Isaiah, reminds us that true security comes from God and nowhere else. The world might erupt in anger and fear, but we need not be afraid because we trust in the God who created the world. People around us might fail us, but the Lord is our stronghold and our sure defense. The Lord is our Savior, and he is the One in whom we’re meant to place our trust.
Within this Canticle, the prophet Isaiah points us toward the future, showing us a picture of what it means to trust in God. When we draw close to God, we give thanks to the Lord for who he is and what he has done. As we walk through life, we are constantly able to point back to who God is, showing others all he has done so that they can join in with us.
As we remember Jesus’s first coming and look forward to his return, it can be easy to lose sight of what matters. Faith won’t always be easy, and life can become complicated. However, Isaiah’s direction for our lives is clear here, and he leaves room for struggles as we continue forward in faith. What does it look like to live out our faith? Rejoice and sing of the things that God has done! He is in our midst, and he is on the move!
Reflection:
What things do you most frequently find security in? Take some time to pray through the verses from today’s reading. What’s something small that you could do on a daily or even weekly basis to seek your sense of security in God? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Related Resource:
Why is trust so difficult? Unlike all the broken promises of this world, God’s redeeming promises are absolute, trustworthy, and true. The covenants of God afford us with abundant reasons to trust God with his plan for our lives. Trusting God: Redeeming Promises of the Word small group Bible study explores the six major redeeming promises of God found in his Word. Learn more about God’s commitment to his people, the nature of a covenant, and how you can find your security in being a child of God’s redeeming promises. Learn more about God’s promises today.
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