January 10, 2001
"If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. -Isaiah 7:9b
Isaiah 7 records the account of a very fearful King Ahaz who refuses to trust in God for his deliverance. He really doesn't believe that God can protect him and the nation so he decides to align himself with Assyria. and seek their protection God prophecies their destruction by that same nation and of course the Bible & history bear out the truth of that prophecy.
What strikes me in all this is first God's unending patience with a people who can never quite seem to learn to trust consistently... but second, that he does deal with it as sin. It is very serious to God, more serous than perhaps I have looked at it before. I tend to look at it as more minor than perhaps other sins but if verse 13 is any indication it really tries his patience. I appreciate that God does deal with things in my life and not let them go on, my lack of trust when it occurs is heading me toward destruction and I need to be stopped in my tracks. These are not harsh actions on his part, it too is an act of God's love and mercy.