By Glenn Metts
Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church, Seymour
Focal Passage: Isaiah 7:7-17
God’s promises remind us that God is for us and not against us. The Bible is filled with stories and testimonies of God’s sovereignty, His power, His goodness, His faithfulness and His purposes. As God’s people, we are reminded that our lives, our days, and our future rest in who God is and His faithfulness to us. There are a couple of things I would like to challenge you with as you consider our focus passage, Isaiah 7:7-17.
First, remember the promises of God and rest in His faithfulness. God had given Ahaz His word that Judah would not be taken by Syria, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah. Ahaz should have recounted how God was a faithful God. He had kept His promises to His people in the past so certainly He would continue. Yet, Ahaz never put his faith in the sovereignty and faithfulness of God. We too, if we are not careful, can lose sight of God and His faithfulness to us.
When it comes to God’s promises, He is always faithful. I am reminded of God’s provision for me when I was a student heading to college. I wondered how I would ever pay for school. I began to search the Scriptures and I was reminded of God’s faithfulness to those who followed His leading.
Glenn Metts
I began to rest on His promises such as Philippians 4:19 which says, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Well, you can guess the outcome. I made it through four years of college and graduated with very little student debt I might add.
God was faithful to His promise to provide what I needed as I followed His call on my life. I could tell you story after story of ways God has continued to be faithful to me. I am 56 years old now, and I am still in awe of God’s goodness and faithfulness to His people. His Word and His promises are reliable because He is a loving and faithful Father. Are you trusting in His Word and promises to live each day? Life certainly brings challenges and difficulties, but our God is always faithful.
Secondly, stand firm in your faith. Notice what the Lord said to Ahaz through the prophet Isaiah. In verse 9, he said, “If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established. (NKJV). In the NIV it reads, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” All through Scripture we find that the Lord wants us to stand firm in our faith. Consider what James said regarding asking God for wisdom.
He said in James 1:6, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” Stand firm and continue to grow in God’s Word, in prayer, and in serving the Lord. Stand firm in your faith!
God would indeed send the perfect sign of His sovereignty, His faithfulness and His provision for sinful man. Verse 14 reminds us that God would send a Savior. Jesus is our Immanuel, God with us. Every day is worth living because the Lord is with us and His promises are sure. Stand firm in your faith and continue to grow in the Lord everyday. B&R
