trust not your own

As I read through these chapters of Isaiah
I was taken by how patient our God has been
from times long ago,
until this day.

For stand in any public place
and you will hear a conversation
about how this world is getting worse.

Dear people, if only you realized...
we are the same creation God has tolerated
since this Biblical time.

According to Isaiah...
For so the Lord said to me,
“I will take My rest,
And I will look from My dwelling place
Like clear heat in sunshine,
Like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”
Isaiah 18:4 NKJV

God was in complete control,
while the world was in complete unrest.
Man against man,
wrestling for power,
struggling for position,
warring for possessions,

We are no different today.
Change the names of the places
and these verses could be our headlines.

Everyone will fight against his brother,
And everyone against his neighbor,
City against city, kingdom against kingdom.
The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst;
Isaiah 19:2-3

There was a time...
this country was founded
on Christian principles.
Men who believed in God,
who went to church and read the Bible...
Men who knew scripture and
wrote documents that set up our government
over which we God's blessing and favor.

But now I begin to wonder...
I certainly hope and pray, literally,
that we do not end up as Judah.

He (God) removed the protection of Judah...
You also saw the damage to the city of David,
That it was great...
You numbered the houses of Jerusalem,
And the houses you broke down
To fortify the wall.
You also made a reservoir
between the two walls
For the water of the old pool.
But you did not look to its Maker,
Nor did you have respect for Him
who fashioned it long ago.
Isaiah 22:8-11

The people of Judah, God's chosen ones,
continued to rebel and turn from Him.
Until He removed His favor and protection.
Then, in their own strength,
THEY tried to make repairs, tried to fix things.
They did not call upon God.
They did not repent for their ways.
They left God out.

We have watched our homeland...
a country of United States,
joined together under God
become broken apart,
one document at a time,
one institution at a time,
one family at a time.

Our government,
our courts,
our military,
our education system,
and now our protective services...
attacked, and torn apart
so that everything we knew as safe
is now dangling by a thread.

There is no doubt in my mind
that our God is still boldly declaring...
“I will take My rest,
And I will look from My dwelling place
But is His face toward our country?
Is His hand of favor over us?

Or are we turning to be more like these
the prophecies of Isaiah?
The places that only and always
endeavor to find men's ways to fix and fill
the holes and gaps by only relying on self.

Let us fall to our knees and plead.
Let us humble our hearts.
Let us cry out to the God who created us
and this great universe...
we should be willing to tremble and say
"Lord God, we NEED You!
Come save us from ourselves."

For this is the truth of our God...
He does not delight in
the strength of the horse;
He takes no pleasure in
the legs of a man.
The Lord takes pleasure in
those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy.
Psalm 147:10-11

Even though He created us...
and gave us strength,
He does not delight in us using it
to save ourselves.
He expects us FULLY to turn to Him in need
and place ALL our HOPE in HIM!

Word of God
train me, today...
To turn to You daily with fear and trembling.
To trust not my own strength,
​but only and always Yours.