Day 16 ... standing

Simply stated... we are standing. We may have tears, we may have moments of how in the world is God going to take care of this mess, we may get angry, but never the less we are standing. Praise the Lord.

 

Isaiah 41

The LORD Controls Human Events

 ¹Be silent and listen,    every island in the sea.
   Have courage and come near,
   every one of you nations.
   Let's settle this matter!
    ²Who appointed this ruler
   from the east? ^[a] Who puts nations and kings
   in his power? ^[b] His sword and his arrows
   turn them to dust
   blown by the wind.
    ³He goes after them so quickly
   that his feet
   barely touch the ground--
   he doesn't even get hurt.
    ⁴Who makes these things happen?
   Who controls human events?
   I do! I am the LORD.
   I was there at the beginning;
   I will be there at the end.
    ⁵Islands and foreign nations
   saw what I did
   and trembled
   as they came near.
   

What Can Idols Do?

 ⁶Worshipers of idols    comfort each other,
   saying, "Don't worry!"
    ⁷Woodcarvers, goldsmiths,
   and other workers ^[c] encourage one another and say,
   "We've done a great job!"
   Then they nail the idol down,
   so it won't fall over.
   

The LORD's Chosen Servant

 ⁸Israel, you are my servant.    I chose you,
   the family
   of my friend Abraham.
    ⁹From far across the earth
   I brought you here and said,
   "You are my chosen servant.
   I haven't forgotten you."
    ¹⁰Don't be afraid. I am with you.
   Don't tremble with fear.
   I am your God.
   I will make you strong,
   as I protect you with my arm
   and give you victories.
    ¹¹Everyone who hates you
   will be terribly disgraced;
   those who attack
   will vanish into thin air.
    ¹²You will look around
   for those brutal enemies,
   but you won't find them
   because they will be gone.
    ¹³I am the LORD your God.
   I am holding your hand,
   so don't be afraid.
   I am here to help you.
    ¹⁴People of Israel, don't worry,
   though others may say,
   "Israel is only a worm!"
   I am the holy God of Israel,
   who saves and protects you.
    ¹⁵I will let you be like a log
   covered with sharp spikes. ^[d] You will grind and crush
   every mountain and hill ^[e] until they turn to dust.
    ¹⁶A strong wind will scatter them
   in all directions.
   Then you will celebrate
   and praise me, your LORD,
   the holy God of Israel.
   

The LORD Helps the Poor

 ¹⁷When the poor and needy    are dying of thirst
   and cannot find water,
   I, the LORD God of Israel,
   will come to their rescue.
   I won't forget them.
    ¹⁸I will make rivers flow
   on mountain peaks.
   I will send streams
   to fill the valleys.
   Dry and barren land
   will flow with springs
   and become a lake.
    ¹⁹I will fill the desert
   with all kinds of trees--
   cedars, acacias, and myrtles;
   olive and cypress trees;
   fir trees and pines.
    ²⁰Everyone will see this
   and know that I,
   the holy LORD God of Israel,
   created it all.
   

Idols Are Useless

 ²¹I am the LORD,    the King of Israel!
   Come argue your case with me.
   Present your evidence.
    ²²Come near me, you idols. ^[f] Tell us about the past,
   and we will think about it.
   Tell us about the future,
   so we will know
   what is going to happen.
    ²³Prove that you are gods
   by making your predictions
   come true.
   Do something good or evil,
   so we can be amazed
   and terrified. ^{[g] 24}You idols are nothing,
   and you are powerless. ^[h] To worship you
   would be disgusting.
    ²⁵I, the LORD, appointed a ruler
   in the north;
   now he comes from the east
   to honor my name.
   He tramples ^[i] kings like mud, as potters trample clay. ^{[j] 26}Did any of you idols predict
   what would happen?
   Did any of you get it right?
   None of you told about this
   or even spoke a word.
    ²⁷I was the first to tell
   the people of Jerusalem,
   "Look, it's happening!" ^[k] I was the one who announced
   this good news to Zion.
    ²⁸None of these idols
   are able to give advice
   or answer questions.
    ²⁹They are nothing, ^[l] and they can do nothing--
   they are less
   than a passing breeze.