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A COPING STRATEGY for HARD TIMES

Isaiah chapter 28


Trusting God is not always easy, because if we live a life of faith in God, sometimes it means that we have to set aside our ways and follow Him into His  adventures, and sometimes we don’t always feel safe do we, trusting God and God alone? And the leaders of Jerusalem were just like that in Isaiah’s day. The prophet warned them of the threat of Assyrian aggression, but instead of trusting God, they tried to save themselves through a political alliance with Egypt. Egypt was offering them protection, and God was offering them protection, but because God wasn’t real in their hearts, they went with Egypt’s offer instead. They put their reliance in the seen rather than in the unseen, and Isaiah had to point out in Isaiah 28:15a that they had made a terrible mistake, because any hiding place other than God is a refuge of lies.


Egypt of course in the bible stands as a type of the world, and like Judah of old, it is very easy isn’t it for us to turn to the world, to turn to other sources when we are in trouble? I don’t doubt that over recent weeks many of us have discovered that our faith has been tested, and sometimes it has been severely tested, but in Isaiah 28, we are being encouraged to believe that God can stand up to the toughest test we may face – even a test as fierce as the threat of an Assyrian invading army. Conversely though, according to Isaiah 28:20, self-trust offers as much rest as a bed that is too short, and a blanket that is too narrow!


We will not always understand God’s ways. We may not always appreciate God’s personal dealings with us, but we can always trust Him, even when He doesn’t give us what we want! And when we put the ‘trust truth’ into practice, and allow God to rule our lives, it will feel as if a great weight has been lifted off our shoulders, because after all, He can handle whatever pressure we may be facing perfectly.


“Worry is like a rocking chair; it keeps you busy but does not bring you farther.”

Corrie ten Boom

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