Passage Read: Isaiah 19-22
Meditation Verses: 22:11-14
Thought
God brought the king of Assyria against Judah and Jerusalem, and they made all the preparations they knew how to make, but they didn't turn to the Lord and seek His mercy or favor. They saw that despite all their efforts, there was no hope, so they decided to live it up one last night, then die the next day when the enemy came against them. Yet God brought overwhelming odds against them so that they would humble themselves and seek Him! They should have known better, but they refused to humble themselves. They decided to go out with their pride intact, relying only on themselves, and if their power was too small, they would still die bravely, not cowering before anyone, including the Lord, to try to save their lives. So the Lord said this sin would never be atoned for.
Application
God allows us to face overwhelming odds in order to bring us to our knees before Him, not before our enemies. He neither wants us to give in to them nor give ourselves over to despair. He wants us to turn to Him and humble ourselves and seek His deliverance. Whether we live or die, we must remain faithful to the Lord. The sad thing is we don't always recognize the right response to trouble. We take it as a challenge to conquer in our own strength, and if we don't have the strength, we choose to go out fighting, though hopeless. We think that is the most noble response. We may ask other people for help, but for whatever reason, we refuse to admit that maybe this trouble is because of how we've disdained God. So we won't ask the Lord for help, unless somehow we can maintain our pride and self-respect and not admit that we were wrong in any meaningful way. I need to remember and acknowledge that the Lord is God, I am His servant, required to do His will and honor Him by my words and deeds. And if the Lord brings even small trouble into my life, it is to remind me of who is in charge, and I need to turn to Him in humility, correct anything that needs correcting, and trust Him to do with me whatever He desires.