Things to do in the Waiting Period
Rev. Enoch Thompson | December 12 2024 | Isaiah 8:16-22
KEY VERSE:
Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion. Isaiah 8:18 (NIV)
MESSAGE:
When we are awaiting an uncertain future, we can be drawn into different activities which may help our wait or put us at a disadvantage in that awaited future. The people of Isaiah’s time were uncertain about the future that Isaiah was speaking about. Some believed the assurances of Isaiah but others in Israel as well as in Judah were shaky in their convictions about the security pronounced in the name of God and sought their own idolatrous or seemingly pragmatic approaches to convince themselves. What do you do to await any word of God to you, or more especially, the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ?
In the waiting period for the fulfilment of the prophecy, Isaiah committed to guarding the sacredness of the Word of the Lord (8:16); he was to bind it and make sure he did not add to it nor subtract from it. The temptation to turn to mediums and other voices rather than stay in the Word of God was, for Isaiah, to be rejected on the basis of their digression from the written and revealed Word of God (8:19-20). Isaiah further chose to stay with a determined trust in God. Even when his fellow Jews questioned the reality and reliability of God, Isaiah committed to an unshakeable trust in God (8:17). By this choice, the prophet avoided the experience of those who in their frustration due to lack of a vital faith in God became restless and hopeless and in the process cursed God and their rulers, only to be more disappointed and frustrated (8:21-22). In contrast to such loss of hope and dignity, Isaiah could say confidently, Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion. Isaiah 8:18 (NIV).
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
We are awaiting the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and are faced with what choices to make in this waiting period. What will you do as you wait? Let us be like Isaiah and those who followed his godly lead!
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, thank you for the example of Isaiah in the challenging experience of the waiting period. Please help me keep my faith intact and impact others positively. Please keep me from losing my cool and from departing from your Word. Lord, please help me be a sign and symbol to my age and environment. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
DAILY word study: SIGNS
The Hebrew word oth (ōth) gives us the English word "sign." It means a token, an emblem, something that points to something else, a visible manifestation of an invisible reality.
Isaiah and his family are living signs of God's prophetic message. They are active participants in proclaiming God's revelation. Their very existence points to the coming judgment and redemption.
God's invisible reality is made manifest in tangible ways. Isaiah and his family are living proof of God's active involvement in human history. They are witnesses to God's truth. Their lives are a constant reminder of God's promises. Isaiah's role is to interpret the present in light of God's eternal purposes.
Reflection
As we consider the concept of signs, we are challenged to live as tangible expressions of God's love and grace. We should strive to be faithful witnesses, reflecting the light of Christ in every aspect of our lives.
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