photo taken by: Bruce Nevin Haines
by: Carole L. Haines
O Lord be gracious to us; we have waited for You.
Be our strength every morning,
Our salvation also in the time of distress.
The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
And He will be the stability of your times,
A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge;
The fear of the Lord is his treasure.
(Isaiah 33: 2,5-6)
The Lord is the same every single morning when we wake up, no matter what is going on in the world or in our own lives. The Lord is our strength every morning unfailingly. He never wavers, never changes. He is always in control. God is the only One who can inhabit the concepts of “Never” and “Always” at the same time. This unchangeableness about God gives great hope to us in this time of widespread Instability. Lamentations 3 puts it this way:
“This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.
The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.”
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.
It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord.” (vs. 21-26)
We live in a time garnished with great instability. But we can rely completely on God’s unchanging faithfulness. The Word stability, in this context, means “firmness, fidelity, faithfulness and security.” When we step out into this uncertain world every morning, God is our stability, our faithfulness and our security. One of the greatest illusions in the soul of man is the sense that he has control over anything. God is the One in control, and when you take the time to know Him intimately, you find He is completely trustworthy. He is described in the two Scriptures above as “stable, faithful, compassionate, our portion, our salvation, exalted, strong and gracious. When I venture out into the world’s instability, I am completely sure of God’s Stability. This gives me great hope. “This I recall to mind, therefore I have hope…” Recall these aspects of God’s character to mind often and with great conviction. Let them bring forth hope in you as you step outside today. God truly is The Stability of our TImes.
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