20 Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. 21 They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven 22 and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. They will be thrown out into the darkness.
1 [a]Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. 2 [b] The people who walk in darkness
will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,[c]
a light will shine.
3 You will enlarge the nation of Israel,
and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest
and like warriors dividing the plunder.
4 For you will break the yoke of their slavery
and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.
You will break the oppressor’s rod,
just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.
5 The boots of the warrior
and the uniforms bloodstained by war
will all be burned.
They will be fuel for the fire.
6 For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,[d] Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!
There are more times then I care to admit that I look near and far for answers to my current circumstances. What do I usually find? Fear and anxiety. I don't find confidence in my answers. I find big question marks. There really is no peace or hope in the answers I myself find. Isaiah flat out tells me that is what I will find. But then he goes on to share about why I can find hope and where I can find it. He starts by reminding me that my darkness will not go on forever. Which means that no matter how rough things are they are temporary. But even more importantly that there is a place to find hope and light.
A Savior will come that won't only provide the hope, but will also destroy the darkness. He will be a Wonderful Counselor. To me that means he is not in it for the pay or for proving that he is valuable because he can change a life. He is in it to love and accept me, to counsel me, guide me, and join me in the solution to my challenges. He is my Mighty God, which means He is not a wuss. He will face the roots of my challenges head on... and He will win. And He wants to fight for me! He will be my everlasting father. So matter what my age is, no matter how big my challenges are, He is ready and wanting to reach down a draw me into his hand, into His lap and comfort me and protect me. Lastly He is my Prince of Peace. He can and will give me peace and hope. Often times I think if I just pray for the peace pill I will instantly have the fear, anxiety and stress wiped away. But that has only happened once. So I'm not sure how to draw from that peace yet. But I know He offers it and it's the only true lasting peace that will make me feel like I'm going to survive.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!
Jesus is passionately committed to me!
Passionate:
–adjective
| 1. | having, compelled by, or ruled by intense emotion or strong feeling; fervid: a passionate advocate of socialism. |
