Monday, February 21, 2011
(Isaiah 40:21-31 The Lord gives strength to the weak.)
Isaiah 40:27 "Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God'"?
THE LORD DOES NOT FORSAKE US
Have you ever felt like God does not see what is happening in your life? And if He does see, He must not care, otherwise He would surely do something? That is the way the people of Israel felt in Isaiah's Day. God wasn't doing anything about their troubles. They cried out for help, but God did not answer.
Oh, how quick we are to blame God for our problems. God had not forsaken His people Israel. So what was the problem? Why did it seem like God was ignoring them? The problem was not with God, it was with them. God had not forsaken His people. They had forsaken Him. They turned away from the Lord who created them and began worshiping idols, then they accused God of not helping them in times of trouble.
Do we do the same? There was a girl who went away to college. After a few years she was at a very low point in her life. The pastor came to visit her. She was quite disgruntled about God and the Christian faith. She said, "What good does believing in God do me? I am stressed. I've got troubles with school, troubles with my job. God isn't helping me at all."
The pastor looked around her room. There were many books, but no Bible or devotion book; several worldly magazines and posters, but nothing to remind her of Jesus her Savior. The pastor asked, "When was the last time you read the Bible or went to church? When was the last time you had the Lord's Supper? She admitted it had been a number of years."
The pastor said, "You claim God doesn't do anything for you, but how can He? You don't give Him a chance. You ignore Him and turn away from all the things that He has given to help and strengthen you in these tough times." We can't ignore God and then accuse Him of not helping us. If you feel like you are forsaken by God, look at yourself for the reason. For we have God's sure promise, "'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear'" (Hebrews 13:5-6).
