Judah trusts in Egypt instead of God

ISAIAH CHAPTER 30

Destruction is certain for my rebellious children," says the Lord. He tells them that they piled on sins and instead of consulting him, they went Egypt for help. They put their trust in the Pharaoh and will now be humiliated and disgraced.

He tells the people to go write down words concerning Egypt; that they will stand until the end of time as a witness to Israel's unbelief. He says the prophets are told to shut up, that they (the people) don't wish to hear the truth, they only want to hear nice things, not gloom.

But the Lord says that since the people despise what he tells them, calamity will come suddenly and all will come crashing down. Only in turning to the Lord will anyone be saved. Blessed are those who wait for him to help them. The people of Zion who live in Jerusalem will weep no more and he will be gracious if they ask for help. He would ask them to throw away their silver idols and gold images. Then the Lord would bless them at planting time with a wonderful harvest. The people of God will sing a song of joy and be filled with joy and a group of pilgrims will make their way to the mountain of the Lord and his voice will be heard. His mighty arms will bring down the enemies. The Assyrians will be shattered and as they fall, his people will keep time with the music of tambourines and harps.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: The rebellious children are the people of Judah. They made a huge mistake and sought advice from everyone except God.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY?Even in our time, people are seeking comfort, advice and relief, hoping to find an easy way out of our troubles. Instead, we should be consulting and praying with our God. He alone can provide stability in our times.

Often the truth makes us uncomfortable and we prefer illusions that make us feel secure. But it is better to face reality than to live a lie. Only God can save us. He asks us to wait on him in quietness and confidence. Nothing can speed up his grand design. In these unsettling times of world conflict, pray to your God and allow him to act. This way, God teaches us and guides us through the hard times. He teaches us patience and most of us need to learn this.

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Pray for Gabe. Pray for Logan during her difficult pregnancy.
Pray for Janice Long’s parents, especially her mother who faces another round of chemotherapy and her father with Alzheimer’s and now her mother in law also with Alzheimer’s. Their family is feeling the strain both emotionally and financially. Pray for them. Update on this family: Her mother-in-law is being taken to Oklahoma to live with an aunt who will care for her.
Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.
Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer and for her sister Wanda’s soul which went to heaven.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has her speech back and is home , but continues to have a problem with one arm and hand. Thanks to your prayers, she is able to hobble without a cane and has been granted disability. She still has surgery scheduled on her hand, but I saw her recently and her attitude is fantastic.
Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Gary Summers, my friend from church, who has cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who is undergoing chemo for his prostate cancer. Update on Robert: he has one more treatment and then three months of waiting for his psat test to come back clean.
Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.
Pray for another friend named Carolyn whose faith remains strong, but is lost and confused about where and how to spend her elder years.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.