Through the ages, God’s people have looked to him for stability

By Dean Collins

A few weeks ago had a day of vertigo. I have had this experience five or six times over the years. Some spells are mild and go away fairly quickly with a couple of maneuvers a therapist taught me the first time I had this issue. One of the accompanying symptoms of vertigo is that you do not feel stable. Standing up straight and walking is difficult when the room is spinning. Fortunately, by the end of the day, my symptoms subsided.

When we go through difficult seasons in life we often have a sense of instability. If you are in the middle of chaos it is hard to feel stable. As I do my daily reading of Scripture I cut and paste verses of Scripture into a document I then refer to when I write. As I glanced at my document this morning and prepared to write, I noticed a verse from a few weeks ago I had saved but then forgotten. Today that verse jumped off my iPad as I read it again:

“And he will be the stability of your times.”

This phrase from the book of Isaiah resonates with me for several reasons. Biblical scholars date this book in a range somewhere between the mid-700s and the upper 600s B.C. The four kings referenced in Isaiah 1 would all have experienced instability. Some of it was due to the idolatry of their citizens, and some was due to the rise and threat of the Assyrians.

Great instability

I imagine you would agree that we are currently living in a time of great instability. We’re watching political upheaval not only between parties but within them as well. Economic instability globally is on the rise. The war between Ukraine and Russia drags on. Even before the unprecedented war in Israel, there were growing tensions in the Middle East. And relationships between China, North Korea, and the West feel fragile. Add to that the questions and concerns about Artificial Intelligence and its influence both for good and for evil. We live in times of great instability.

When I read Isaiah 33:6, I received it as a much needed promise: “And he will be the stability of your times.” The upcoming election won’t bring stability. World leaders haven’t brought stability. Cultural wars don’t bring stability. And the instability surrounding us impacts our businesses, our personal finances, and our hope. But Isaiah reminds us that there is one who can bring stability to our times, the Lord.

Faithful waiting

In Isaiah 33:5 we are given a prayer: “O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you.” My guess is that while every reader’s issues are different, each of us lives in a season of waiting. Some wait for diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment. Some wait for a needed job and paycheck. Others wait for a business transaction to close. Some wait for needed human and financial resources. Some wait for news from an estranged friend or family member. And in these times of waiting, we pray God would be gracious to us.

Isaiah declared that God would, in fact, “be our arm every morning and our salvation in time of trouble.” Isaiah reminds us about the status and identity of our Lord: “The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, and he will be the stability of your times.” What a prayer, what a promise we are given in this verse. The stability of our times won’t be self-generated. The stability of our times won’t come from what is visible to the human eye. Our stability and the stability of our times can only come from Almighty God.

And with this stability that comes from the rock of our salvation, we also receive “abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.” And it all begins with holding God in awe as our Lord, our king, and our great treasure.

Father, we pray boldly today, believing your Word that you will be gracious to us. We trust you to deliver us as we wait on you. We trust you to deliver on time and every time as we wait for you. Be the arm we can lean on as we go through hard times. You are our salvation and you fill us with righteousness as we work with you to expand your kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. Thank you for being the stability of our times. Thank you for the abundance of salvation along with wisdom and knowledge. You are exalted above all things, and we trust you completely in our moment of need. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your time with God’s Word
Isaiah‬ ‭33‬:‭2‬, ‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV

Photo by Grandfailure at istockphoto.com
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