Isaiah 41

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

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God rules everywhere...

More so... the nations of the earth recognize it. To be sure, they don't necessarily understand it's Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but...they intuit a controlling power.

 

Think about it for a moment. Centuries ago it was common to understand all kings served at the whim of God. The king was responsible to serve God's people faithfully. Some did it better than others.

 

When the "Age of Enlightenment" arrived the gods of the age became science and reason. Less mystical but every bit as controlling.

 

Today, our cosmic god seems to be "Climate." Not very personal but just as transcendent as any other god. As goes the climate...goes mankind. Global warming is one of our theological tenets. And the mantra?

 

"It's not nice to fool Mother Nature..."

 

So...they all know about god(s). they simply don't know "God". Except for Israel. Isaiah says

“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend,
I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

We should memorize Isaiah 41:10...for a couple of reasons.

We, in the Body of Christ, like to view OT references to Israel as prophetic statements about the NT Church. As a general rule this is solid hermeneutics. And, it allows us to believe that God is always on our side and is always prepared to "strengthen and uphold" us. Very encouraging...

Just as important is the truth that this makes Israel special among all nations. God says Do not fear; I will help you. All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. " Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them". So, when we think about Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, ISIS...all bent on destroying Israel...what is their probability of success? EXACTLY! There is no other nation that has received a territorial promise like this. While we, as the Church, have to view all these promises primarily as having spiritual fulfillment, Israel gets to look at secure borders.

I"m not surprised that Israel still lives in fear. This is the problem with promises: We're never sure until they are delivered. So Prime Minister Netanyahu fears, along with his people, for the future of Israel in spite of a very personal promise.

I wish I could say "have a little faith!" Of course...as soon as I do so...I'd have to look in the mirror and shout the same words to the person looking back at me.

You see...the climate god can do little but react to the dangers of greenhouse gases. We, however, are special. We acknowledge a God who actually intervenes in human history and manages things. We call Him the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He's the God who "will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys". Who will "turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs".   Who will "put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive...set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together,  so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it".

And, while God does all this for us, He's not as magnanimous with the rest of His creation. He says  “Present your case,” says the Lord. “Set forth your arguments,” But you are less than nothing and your works are utterly worthless; whoever chooses you is detestable". I'm sure they have good arguments to make: God...we didn't pollute..we drove electric cars! we recycled! They all are meaningless.

As Joshua once said..."Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord".

Live boldly out there today...