“I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness;
I make well-being and create calamity;
I am the LORD, who does all these things.” (Isaiah 45:6b-7)
Our nation is in the midst of social chaos brought on by a number of factors but primarily because over the years many people have rejected Jesus. They have not only rejected Him as God but also as Savior. They do not obey His will. They follow and worship gods of their own making including the self. In America, the autonomy of the individual reigns supreme.
Therefore it is no wonder that, during the crises that we have been and are still enduring, our national leaders, educators, and scientists do not know how to properly respond. They do not seek the Lord’s will in the midst of any crisis. The result is that they cannot properly respond to the pandemic, COVID, racism, or the drug epidemic. And this is so even though they claim they have all the answers.
The truth is, however, they do not: true wisdom only comes from God. And the Lord God has
chosen to impart that wisdom and work through His people, the Church to bring comfort, peace, and mercy to the world. Yet the Church has been deemed non-essential. People would rather put their faith in themselves or those who they think they can trust such as government officials, educators, celebrities, and scientific and medical professionals. They do not even consider reaching out to the Lord God Almighty who controls all. Nothing is unknown to Him. Nothing take Him by surprise.
Isaiah prophesied that in 150 years from the time he wrote, a king would arise by the name of
Cyrus. He would defeat Babylon and restore God’s people to Judah. The Lord made this promise to comfort and encourage His people so that they would trust in Him in the midst of great tribulation and suffering.2500 years later we know the prophecy came to pass as written.
In our self-centered, media-saturated culture, so many individuals seek comfort in predicting what will happen in the future. Economists, celebrities, politicians, mediums, psychics, and pundits all like to proclaim with unabashed certainty what will happen in the future. Such predictions give them and their devotees the feeling that they are in control of life’s uncertainties so many will make plans based on such prognostications. Yet most of these predictions will not come to pass and will be forgotten because they are made apart from wisdom and will of the Lord God.
What the Lord God has spoken through His prophets, His Word, and His Church and what He
says will happen as He promises. Therefore, we who have faith in Christ can take comfort in this
prophecy of Cyrus and the other prophecies and promises the Lord makes in His Word. Through
His Word we can find assurance and comfort in the midst of our own uncertain and confusing
times. Through that Word we find that by faith we have the hope of eternal life in God’s
Kingdom. By that faith we have the wisdom and strength to preach the gospel to all we meet that
they too may believe in Jesus. Jesus brings order out of chaos.