Thursday, November 9, 2017

When You Are Ready to Give Up

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.

This is what God the Lord says—the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:

‘I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being, I announce them to you.’” (Isaiah 42:1-9 NIV)

One can see it anywhere, but my context is the University campus and I see it every day: students who are blind to their value and purpose, imprisoned by their fears, held captive by their addictions, and swallowed up by the darkness of life without hope. If I am honest, it is often discouraging ministering in this context. The light is dim and the rays of hope seem diminished. There are a lot of “bruised reeds” and “smoldering wicks” inhabiting the dorms and walking around on campus. So reading the prophetic words of Isaiah this morning was much needed.

It is so easy to give up in the midst of such a daunting environment of hurt and hopelessness, when the helping hand is extended and ignored, when the light is provided to see the narrow path that leads to life and it is brushed aside in favor of an easier way, and when the hurts seem too deep to be healed. It is easy to reach the point of surrender to the elements and say, “So be it; I can do no more.” 

But then the declarative statements of the Lord come from the page: “I will;” “I will not;” “I declare;” “I am.”  There is no hesitation, tentativeness, or doubt in the face of the dark landscape that is our fallen world. Instead there is an unyielding conviction that the will of the Lord will not be thwarted, that Satan’s merciless grip will be pried loose, that justice will prevail, and people will be set free. 

In a crisis, there needs to be a leader who will take charge, reassure the stricken, and help lead them from trouble to safety. This leader instills confidence, not in the situation, but in his ability to overcome it and thereby help others do the same.  

This is what the Lord is saying through Isaiah. In a dark and hopeless world, He will overcome it, echoing the very words of Jesus 700 years later (John 16:33). He is not in the least cowered by the evils of this world, the despair, and the hopelessness.  He presses on undeterred.

I needed to hear that this morning. How about you? Are you discouraged by the world around you, or about your own life?  Are you ready to give up? Then know there is One who has stepped into the crisis and taken charge. Follow Him and His lead. He knows what He is doing and will lead you through the perilousness until you reach safer ground.

© Jim Musser 2017

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