THE LORD SPOKE (September 27)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Isaiah 24-26

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

Coming, as it does, after Isaiah 24 and 25, this verse is one of the great promises of Scripture. These two chapters scream judgment. “The Lord is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it” (24:1). As you read on through, it just keeps getting worse. All the earth’s inhabitants will be ruined and scattered (24:1-3) and the earth itself will be “broken up...split asunder...[and] thoroughly shaken” (24:19).

Yet in the midst of all that, there can be peace for the individual. When prices keep going up and the economy is falling to pieces, there can still be peace for the individual. When problems come faster than you can handle them and there’s too much month left at the end of the paycheck, there can still be peace for the individual. How, you may ask? This verse tells you. You must learn to trust the Lord. You must learn to trust the Lord in everything. Your mind must be steadfast on Him. It’s so simple, it seems hard. Here’s how:

(1) Read the Bible every day. When you are sick physically, it’s not possible to get well without eating food. It doesn’t matter if you “don’t feel like it”. Eat anyway! That will give you the possibility of getting well because your body needs that sustenance to heal itself. Likewise, your spirit needs food to regain health and spiritual food comes from God’s Word. So do it! Read the Scriptures every day and listen to God’s voice on those pages. Feed yourself from the Bible so that you can hear Him speak to you. His Spirit will commune with your spirit and you will soon find that your mind is steadfast on Him.

(2) Pray every day. It’s probably more important that God speaks to you than it is that you speak to Him, so read your Bible first. Then, begin to talk to Him. Whether or not prayer changes other “things”, it’s certain that prayer does change us. Speaking to God helps you to think His thoughts. If you’ve read Scripture first, you’ll have something to work with in that process. Then, talk to Him. Tell Him your troubles. Ask for His help. He delights to care for us! As the hymn says,

O, what peace we often forfeit;
O, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.

There you have it! There are probably a few other things you can do to fix your mind upon the Lord but it’s really not so complicated. It’s not so much about doing something - it’s about believing someone! “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).


Psalms 21-22

A thousand years before the words were on the lips of Jesus as He hung on the cross (Mat. 27:46), this anguished prayer expressed David’s distress. He cried out to the Almighty,

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Ps. 22:1)

The words of this psalm so perfectly fitted the crucifixion of Christ that it became the most frequently quoted in the New Testament. From hurled insults (Ps. 22:7) to pierced hands and feet (Ps. 22:16) the psalm pre-figured the passion of Jesus’ last hours. With bones out of joint and dry tongue sticking to the roof of His mouth (Ps. 22:14-15), He watched as they cast lots for His clothing (Ps. 22:18) and heaped scorn upon Him.

The author of Hebrews placed the words of Psalm 22:22 on Jesus’ lips also: “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you” (Heb. 2:12). There follows (Ps. 22:25-31) a description of the worldwide company that will join in praise - both rich and poor, young and old, all the families of nations, and people yet unborn. Future generations will proclaim His righteousness.

As the psalm ends, so ended Jesus’ last words on the cross: “for he has done it” (Ps. 22:31b), “It is finished!” (Jn. 19:30).

“Man of Sorrows!” what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim!
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood -
Sealed my pardon with His blood:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Guilty, vile and helpless we,
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
Full atonement! Can it be?
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die,
“It is finished”, was His cry;
Now in heav’n exalted high:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew this song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!