Isaiah 12:1-2 (NKJV)
“I Will Trust”
August 25, 2024
Isaiah reminds us of the source of our strength and our song and our salvation. It is the Lord! The Prophet says, “In that day you will say: I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." Isaiah continues, "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you." Isaiah predicts a time of praise, joy, and thanksgiving. Only God could reveal that to the Prophet. And only God could make it come true. Isaiah predicts the exact words the Israelites would say “in that day.” In that day when all of God’s children, Jew and Gentile, come together under the banner of Christ in a Millennial Kingdom you will say: "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." In the time of Moses, the Israelites sang a song to the LORD in Exodus 15 – “The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” Some 700 years later Isaiah prophesized that they will say it again! God was going to change the Israelites from having doom and gloom to joy and praise. After Jerusalem has fallen and the temple burned to the ground and they are taken into slavery they would conclude, “we deserve this punishment, because we turned from the Lord. We have no hope, no future, because God has rejected us.” But I’ve read the biblical history, and I see that God had better plans for the Israelites than they understood. And just as He had a better plan for them, He has better plans for me and you. He would allow them to despair, but there would be a day of deliverance when their outlook would change, when they would be delivered from their oppressors, and they would be delivered by our God. In that day - at that time, they would rejoice. They will declare that God is my Strength, God is my Song and God is my Salvation!
My Strength - The Prophet says, “I will trust and not be afraid!” In that day they will say “God is my strength.” God doesn’t want you to say, “God helps those who help themselves.” He wants you to say, “God IS my strength. God IS my All in All!” He wants you to turn to Christ with every sin, every guilt, every problem, every ache, every sorrow. He wants you to turn to Jesus not just as a last resort - but as a first resort, second resort, and every resort. That, my family, is the true meaning of trusting God as your strength. In Romans 8 the Apostle teaches, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” This verse highlights the reality of God's saving power and His willingness to rescue His people at any cost. Just as God intervened on behalf of the early church, He continues to be our deliverer today, rescuing us from sin, bondage, and every form of oppression. In times of trouble, we can confidently trust in God's saving grace, knowing that He is our ultimate source of strength and victory. David said in Psalm 27 “The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident.”
My Song - The Prophet says, “I will trust and not be afraid!” Not only is God our Strength, Moses reminds us that God is also our Song! "The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.” In that day they will say “God is my song.” Isaiah declares that the Lord God is our strength and our song; He has given me victory. My mother and father sang from the pews of Revival Center Church on the South Side of Chicago in the 70’s when I was a little boy growing up during an epidemic of gang violence, “Victory is mine! Victory is mine, Victory today is mine. I told Satan to get thee behind, Victory today is mine.” In Him, we find the power to overcome adversity and the courage to face each day with confidence. Our song does not come from our dependance on our own abilities or circumstances but from the unchanging character of God. As we lean on Him, He empowers us to navigate life's challenges and experience His victory in every area of our lives. In Psalm 28, “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving." The Psalmist has a song because of his unwavering trust in God's unfailing strength. When we place our trust in Him wholeheartedly, we experience His divine assistance and find our hearts filled with joy and gratitude. Our trust in God is not misplaced; rather, it is the foundation of our confidence and hope. As we navigate life's challenges, let us lean on God's strength with unshakeable trust, knowing that He is faithful to sustain us and grant us victory over every obstacle. In Psalm 104 it says, “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.” And in Psalm 96 it says, “Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord , all the earth. Sing to the Lord , bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised!”
My Salvation - The Prophet says, “I will trust and not be afraid!” In that day they will say “God is my salvation.” There is no more complete term that you can use than to say God IS my salvation. He is the originator of it, the executor of it, and the deliverer of it. The literal translation is “God is my Jeshua” - the same name that in the Greek is called “Jesus.” So what Jeremiah is inevitably saying is that “in that day you will say, God is my Jesus.” This is the answer and only source of our deliverance. Peter said it this way (Acts 4), “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” He completely created us, redeemed us, and drew us to faith. He tore us out of this dead world and from the flames of hell, and through faith brought us to Himself, filling us with His forgiveness, mercy and love in Christ. He literally IS our salvation. When we face challenges and uncertainties, we can find refuge in the assurance of God's salvation. He is our stronghold in times of trouble, and His promises never fail. As we trust in His saving grace, we can overcome fear and doubt, knowing that He is faithful to deliver us from every situation. I know that so many people today are living life without joy. They are worn out from work. They are depressed from failed relationships. They feel like everything was due yesterday, and they don’t have the time or energy or strength to deal with it today. Today’s market is full of drugs that companies are selling that are supposed to be what they call “energy enhancers.” They promise you that their drugs will make you feel more energetic and they “wink in the camera” and say your lady will like that too! “Simply pop our pill,” they say, “and your outlook on life will change!” But read the warning labels! They say, “symptoms may include dizziness, vomiting, bloated stomach, and headaches.” And that is supposed to make me feel BETTER about myself? God has a better cure for your ailment. His name is Jesus! Salvation in Christ will get you right without the false promise and negative effects of the world’s supplements. True salvation will motivate you to tell somebody, “The LORD is my strength and my song and my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid!”
