Give Credit Where Credit Is Due
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the Lord, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the desert into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.
I will plant in the desert the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
I will set in the wasteland the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it. (Is 41:17-20)
That wonderful Day of the Lord for which we all long will be glorious. Isaiah spent so much time talking about that day and what would happen. He foresaw a day in which God would turn everything upside down. He would make all that was bad, good. He would make all that was wretched, glorious. He would make all that were slaves free. He would, in short, restore what belonged to the people of God before the fall.
We try to do too many things on our own, forgetting that we are not capable enough. Were we the ones who made the rains in the first place? Than how can we expect to find the waters? Were we the ones who made the fruit trees? Than how can we expect to have them come up with no resources on our own.
God is our resource. He is the ultimate resource. He has provided for His people and will continue to provide for us. We, for our part, need to be patient and to be dependent upon Him.
We are afflicted and needy in so many ways. Let us remember today that it is God who can help us, God who is willing to help us, God who is waiting for us to call upon Him.
FAITH ACTION: Have you been trying to do things on your own? Ask the Lord for the help you need.