S5 E29 - Our Salvation in Times of Trouble

This week has been full of bloodshed and tragedy in the US - from school schootings, merciless and senseless murders, and assasination - hearts are heavy. 

How does the Christian respond to this? 

#SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Transcript

What if I told you that God could be seen in the most ordinary things every day? 

What if I told you that every day, ordinary events could teach us extraordinary eternal truths? Would you believe me? 

 Welcome back to season 5 of the Set Your Mind Above Podcast! My name is BJ Sipe, and I am a Christian, a preacher, a husband, and a father. And I’m excited to share a few moments together with you learning some important lessons from the simplest things. Let’s grow together! 

I have struggled greatly over the last few days to know what I wanted to share with you all this week. This past week in the United States has been filled with all kinds of injustices, bloodshed, and tragedy. From school shootings, assassinations, and merciless murders, the devastation that so many are facing has sent my heart into my stomach. This week mothers & fathers will bury their children. A wife and her two daughters will bury a beloved husband and father. So many people’s hands are covered in blood.  And to make matters worse – the attitude with which many have approached these issues has been with apathy or even malicious, ignorant mockery. The depravity of man has been on full display over this past week, and it has left many asking the question – “what are we supposed to do?” Sadly, what I have seen many (even believers) suggest as the answer is to rise up with an iron fist in violence. To show no mercy to those who do or celebrate evil, so as to “make them pay.” Such individuals have been deceived by the enemy and have forgotten the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 12:14-21, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.” Evil indeed is meant to be conquered, but how that is done is to overcome evil with good. God has called his children to a higher standard, a standard not understood or practiced by the world, but one that separates light from darkness. Beloved, walk as children of light – and do not return evil for evil. Submit your anger, your heartbreak, and your fear to God – he is a righteous judge, and he will act in the right and proper time. 

This morning in our Bible study at a local coffee shop, we read through Isaiah 33. The words shared by the prophet Isaiah are timely, and words that I wanted to share with those who are hurting and angry today. Let us examine different sections of the text today, and draw some important applications for us to be reminded of and take to heart. 

Isaiah 33:7-9 “Listen! Their warriors cry loudly in the streets; the messengers of peace weep bitterly. The highways are deserted; travel has ceased. An agreement has been broken, cities despised, and human life disregarded. The land mourns and withers.” 

Do these things sound familiar to you? Complete disregard for human life? Lies and breaking of trust? Hostility towards one’s community? A fear of leaving the safety of your home? A nation in mourning and wilting from what it once was? My friends, there is nothing new that is under the sun. The depravity and immorality of man have been on full display ever since the creation of this world. Injustices have prevailed among every group of people to ever have lived, and blood has covered the hands of countless wicked people throughout time. The hurt and discouragement that so many of you are feeling now have been felt by those before us for a thousand generations. This world is a broken, depraved, and sin filled place – and it has led to so much suffering. It leaves those who are striving to seek and serve God feeling defeated, feeling righteous anger, and feeling confused. What is one to do? What will God do? Let’s examine both of those questions. 

What will God do? Examine the text of Isaiah 33 again together. 

Isaiah 33:10-13 “Now I will rise up,” says the Lord. “Now I will lift myself up. Now I will be exalted. You will conceive chaff; you will give birth to stubble. Your breath is fire that will consume you. The peoples will be burned to ashes, like thorns cut down and burned in a fire. You who are far off, hear what I have done; you who are near, know my strength.”

Isaiah 33:1, 3 “Woe, you destroyer never destroyed, you traitor never betrayed! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you have finished betraying, they will betray you . . . The peoples flee at the thunderous noise; the nations scatter when you rise in your majesty.”

Above all, the people of God should pray for repentance of the wicked. We should not have the Spirit of Jonah, wishing for God to punish the ungodly and not show grace and mercy if they are willing to repent. Remember the admonition of Peter concerning the Lord, “The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) Why does God not act when we want him to act in the face of injustices? Perhaps the answer is simply – God is exercising his perfect patience giving them time to repent – the same patience he has shown to both you and me. We must share in the spirit of the Lord and want the same for all people. 

But make no mistake…we will reap what we sow. “Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” (Galatians 6:7-8) This is the message of Isaiah 33 to the wicked and depraved who persist in what is evil. The destroyer will be destroyed. The traitor will be betrayed. When God rises up, the wicked will tremble in fear and be utterly destroyed for their oppression and ungodliness. God does not desire that any will perish – but there are many who will. God practices perfect patience and lovingkindness, but he also practices perfect justice and righteousness. The wicked will not go unpunished. As we read earlier in Romans 12, “vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” In our home, sometimes Kylie will be dealing with the children, and we exercise great patience with them. But sometimes one of the kids says or does something that makes me get up from my seat. As soon as the kids see me move and begin the step in, they know it’s game over and they’ve crossed the line. Look at the text again in Isaiah 33 – don’t make God get out of his seat. When he rises up in his majesty to execute justice, it’s game over. To cite the Hebrew writer, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31) While sometimes it appears that injustice and the wicked prevail in this life, that is simply not the case. Everyone will reap what they sow, and God gets the last word. Leave it up to him, and don’t whittle on God’s end of the stick. 

So, what should we do? Let’s once more return to the text of Isaiah 33. 

Isaiah 33:2, 5-6 “Lord, be gracious to us! We wait for you. Be our strength every morning and our salvation in time of trouble . . . The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. There will be times of security for you— a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.”

Isaiah 33:14-24 “The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling seizes the ungodly: “Who among us can dwell with a consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with ever-burning flames?” The one who lives righteously and speaks rightly, who refuses profit from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears from listening to murderous plots and shuts his eyes against evil schemes — he will dwell on the heights; his refuge will be the rocky fortresses, his food provided, his water assured. Your eyes will see the King in his beauty; you will see a vast land. Your mind will meditate on the past terror: “Where is the accountant? Where is the tribute collector? Where is the one who spied out our defenses?” You will no longer see the barbarians, a people whose speech is difficult to comprehend— who stammer in a language that is not understood. Look at Zion, the city of our festival times. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful pasture, a tent that does not wander; its tent pegs will not be pulled up nor will any of its cords be loosened. For the majestic one, our Lord, will be there, a place of rivers and broad streams where ships that are rowed will not go, and majestic vessels will not pass. For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King. He will save us. Your ropes are slack; they cannot hold the base of the mast or spread out the flag. Then abundant spoil will be divided, the lame will plunder it, and none there will say, “I am sick.” The people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.”

What do we do? We wait for the Lord. Waiting on the Lord is one of the most difficult things for us to do in this life. It takes patience. It takes humility. It takes faith. To entrust ourselves to God knowing that he knows best, and that he will act in his time, not ours, in ways that are perfectly just, righteous, and loving is a very difficult task. But knowing that he can and will, even in the most difficult of days or in times of trouble we can find hope in God. He is the God of our salvation, and it is that salvation and that hope that gives us the strength to get up each morning and keep going. Though there is trouble in this life, we have confidence of a day to come that there will be times of security. This is why Isaiah tells us, “The fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.” We, the children of God, hold fast to our hope in him. We fear him, we trust him, and we wait for him. 

What else can we do? We can be light. While the wicked tremble and scatter at the presence of God, those who walk as children of light do not fear the presence of God, but find great comfort in him. Isaiah echoes in the words above the words of the David in Psalm 15: “Lord, who can dwell in your tent? Who can live on your holy mountain? The one who lives blamelessly, practices righteousness, and acknowledges truth in his heart – who does not slander with his tongue, who does not harm his friend, or discredit his neighbor, who despises the one rejected by the LORD but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his word whatever the cost, who does not lend his silver at interest or take a bribe against the innocent – the one who does these things will never be shaken.” This is the one who can dwell in the presence of God. This is the one who’s refuge and fortress is in the Most High and will make their home with God. In a world that is full of wickedness, bloodlust, injustice, and travesty – we can live as light and love as the children of God. Your willingness to bow the knee to King Jesus can and will impact the lives of others still walking in darkness. This is why Jesus taught us, “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) In a world full of darkness, let your light shine. 

Finally, we can look forward to better days. I cannot think of more comforting words than Isaiah’s in vv. 17 – “Your eyes will see the King in his beauty.” One day, we will look back on all the sin, all the injustice, and all the brokenness of this life – and it will be gone. There will be no more death, no more sickness, no more sin, no more enemy. I long for that day. If our hope is in Christ and we are found in him, we look forward to a permanent home with God for all eternity in true peace and rest. Because our sins have been forgiven, we can dwell with God forever more after he has made all things new. “The LORD is our Judge. The LORD is our Lawgiver. The LORD is our King. He will save us.” (vv. 22) Hold fast, my friends. Better days are coming. Let us conclude with the words of our King from John 16:33, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have overcome the world.”  

This has been the Set Your Mind Above Podcast, season 5 episode 29 – and I’m so thankful that we had this time to grow together! A new episode is dropped every Friday, so be sure to tune in next week.  Also, if you’re able to, go ahead and like and subscribe to the podcast, give us a good rating or most importantly share it with someone else – it would help to reach others that I never could alone.  And more than anything, always remember the following: know that I love you, that God loves you, and may we all each and every day set our minds above.