QT 30 Sep 15, Isa 44:14-17, Sophisticated stupidity

Isa 44:14-17 (ESV) He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, "Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!" 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!"

https://www.bible.com/bible/59/isa.44.14-17.esv

NOTE: Nearly all of us would agree without hesitation that this person, described in these verses, is stupid. But we still have idols today, they are just more sophisticated. So, how do our idols today compare to the idol worshipper of yesterday? Our idols are still fashioned by our own hands. They also come from multi-use materials. Some idols have useful features, they transport us or entertain us or provide information for us. For the most part, our idols costs us some sacrifice, usually in the form of money, a direct measure of labor on our part. At this point, one might argue that I have only described items of usefulness, that while nice, are hardly things that we worship. That could be true. What I see is people looking for happiness in items and believing that the momentary happiness is worth the cost. This is where the items are like gods. God alone can satisfy the inner soul of our being. We try temporary physical items and physical pleasures to fill that emptiness. In the end, they always fail to meet the real need of our soul. So, we work for a new item or thing that we believe will make us really happy. We do this, even though we know it has never worked before. And so, are we really any smarter than the person Isaiah described? Or do we just exhibit sophisticated stupidity?

QT 29 Sep 15, Isa 44:3, I am the one who is dry, not God's word

Isa 44:3 (ESV)

3  For I will pour water on the thirsty land,

and streams on the dry ground;

I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,

and my blessing on your descendants.

https://www.bible.com/bible/59/isa.44.3.esv

NOTE: In context, this promise is specific to Israel. It applies in a broader sense to the body of Christ because Jesus claimed to be the water of life, and that he who drank of him would never get thirsty. Sometimes we experience "dryness" in the word during our reading. I remember the feeling, but it has been years since I have noticed it. Some of this perceived dryness is because our focus is on what we get out of the word, rather than seeing our time with God as part of a relationship. As the focus changes to the relationship and not what I "get," we begin to appreciate any time with God and anything that he might say to us. Another change that I have experienced over the years, is that as I have read (12 plus times through the bible) and studied the word (50 of 66 books), I have gained a deeper appreciation of the entire book. I am beginning to see the big picture and how things fit together, and why some parts are there. The more time in the word, the more my appreciation for the word has grown. Even common verses that I've read or memorized, like this verse, still have deep emotional meaning to me. The real fact is that I am the one who is usually dry, not the word of God, but I'm too stupid to recognize it. And God's word fills my thirsty soul.

QT 28 Sep 15, Isa 43:2-4, He is with us whatever we are going through

Isa 43:2-4 (ESV)

2  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

 when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

and the flame shall not consume you.

3 For I am the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

 I give Egypt as your ransom,

Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

4 Because you are precious in my eyes,

and honored, and I love you,

I give men in return for you,

peoples in exchange for your life.

https://www.bible.com/bible/59/isa.43.2-4.esv

NOTE: These are beautiful verses. They are specific to Israel, but God has used them to speak to individual believers over the years. The verses convey the principle of the importance to God of His people. And that principle applies to the church as well as to Israel. We will go through hard times and it will seem overwhelming. The waters will appear to be too high, that we might drown. The flames, which follow, are too hot for us to handle and we worry of being burned or consumed. But in each case, God promises to be with us. Our life, spiritually, is very precious to him. In Israel's case, others died so that they might live (it was a physical promise). In the new covenant, some of this is turned around. We give our lives (physical) so that others might live (spiritually). But we lose nothing in the exchange, physical or spiritual. Jesus says that no one has given up house or home or fields or family--physical things--who will not receive a hundred times more in this life and in the life to come. We don't lose out, ever, because God is with us.

QT 25 Sep 15, Isa 42:16, Faith in Christ opens spiritually blinded eyes

Isa 42:16 (ESV)

16  And I will lead the blind

in a way that they do not know,

in paths that they have not known

I will guide them.

I will turn the darkness before them into light,

 the rough places into level ground.

These are the things I do,

and I do not forsake them.

https://www.bible.com/bible/59/isa.42.16.esv

NOTE: So much of Isa 40-66 is directly related to Jesus' time and the new covenant, that it is impossible to ignore the correspondence of these 27 chapters to the 27 books of the New Testament. Chapter 42 begins with a prophecy of Jesus, how he will come and how he will act. Jesus ushers in a new period of time where the theme of this chapter is turning people from blindness to people who can see. We are the blind people, a world blinded by sin and our own arrogance. We think we know so much and really know so very little. God ought to laugh at our stupidity and ignore our existence. But He doesn't, because He loves us. He promises to open those eyes and guide us into the light so that we can see. For those who believe in Christ for their salvation, God does just that. He opens eyes and brings us into a new place in life. Everything looks different to a person who has believed. Sometimes it is hard to explain. Life is just so much clearer. It certainly doesn't mean we are right on all the issues. We carry a lot of baggage into the Christian life. But as we grow to know Jesus and allow him to change us to be like him, our eyes are opened more and more to His truth. But this requires a deep personal relationship with God. It is not the same as religiosity. As seen in Isaiah 1, God hates religiosity. Too many so called believers have fooled themselves, forsaking a relationship for the appearance of holiness (the appearance of holiness is religiosity). Lord, open our eyes to our sin. Help us to desire a relationship with you above all else in this world.

QT 24 Sep 15, Isa 41:21-22, We need to wake up to the evidence

Isa 41:21-22 (ESV)

21 Set forth your case, says the Lord;

bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.

22 Let them bring them, and tell us

what is to happen.

Tell us the former things, what they are,

that we may consider them,

that we may know their outcome;

or declare to us the things to come.

https://www.bible.com/bible/59/isa.41.21-22.esv

NOTE: This almost seems to be a broken record because I know I have written on this point before, but the evidence for God is very strong, if one would only bother to look honestly, without predisposition. The prophecies are amazingly accurate. There are many of them. They are not fifty percent fulfilled but one hundred percent fulfilled to date. We might quibble about whether a prophecy is not fulfilled or still to be fulfilled in the future. But even then, we would be quibbling about percentages that are far, far higher than chance. The data is there. The information is available. Jesus alone would be more than sufficient, but there is much, much more. And so the world dismisses the historical records, not out of any good argument, but because, to not dismiss would force the world to admit that the God of the bible is the one true God of the world. He is the God we rebelled against in the garden. And He is waiting for us to repent and turn to Him for our salvation. If not, He has made it clear that there is eternal punishment and separation for those who refuse to believe. We need to wake up to the evidence.

QT 23 Sep 15, Isa 40:28-31, He gives strength for TODAY, each day

Isa 40:28-31 (ESV)

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

 his understanding is unsearchable.

29 He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might he increases strength.

30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,

and young men shall fall exhausted;

31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint.

NOTE: Because God never grows weary or faint, or for that matter, sleeps, He can give strength to those who wait for Him. He renews us, so that we can run the race, and so we can walk with Him. We all falter and there are times we feel like giving up. Life seems so hard or hopeless or painful. But it doesn't have to be. We must go to Him. We must ask Him for the strength, for the understanding to make it through the day. Each day, we must ask Him for the strength for THAT day. The story of the manna illustrates the concept. The people were to go out every morning and gather what was needed for the day. Except the day before the Sabbath, where they were to gather for two days. If they did it right, all went well. When they tried to gather too much, it spoiled and was useless. In the prayer which Jesus taught the disciples, he prayed for the same thing, "give us this day our daily bread." Each day, we need to ask God for bread (strength) to make it through the day. And we must not doubt or waver in unbelief. God promises to provide. We need to take Him at his word.

QT 22 Sep 15, Isa 40:25, There is nothing to compare God to …

Isa 40:25 (ESV) To whom then will you compare me,

that I should be like him? says the Holy One.

NOTE: Our problem is that we want to put God in a box, or more properly, something that we can define so that we can categorize and explain him. But Isaiah 40 makes it clear that you can't, no matter how hard you try. And so, you can't even use worldly arguments on Him, since your basis is so limited (specifically this world). He is so far beyond our ability to understand, appreciate, or gauge. But we make silly arguments against Him as if he were human like us and was forced to fit in the parameters of our life and understanding. How foolish we are! It really is quite STUPID to think that way. So, we can't fully understand him, but he is not completely transcendent. He desires a relationship with us. He sent his son (also hard to understand) so that we could have a glimpse of him. The son, Jesus, is the exact imprint of his nature (Heb 1:3). And the son helps us to understand his concern and his desire for our life. And yet, we don't even want to believe that--because that would make us think. And thinking is dangerous, because we might have to act or change our behavior. What a foolish people we are. We do so need to repent of our stubborn prideful hearts and admit how wrong we are about God.

QT 21 Sep 15, Isa 40:15-17, God has a plan for the nations, we should not fear

Isa 40:15-17 (ESV) Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,

and are accounted as the dust on the scales;

behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.

16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,

nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.

17  All the nations are as nothing before him,

they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

NOTE: This is an often quoted verse or set of verses. We rightly understand it to mean that God is sovereign over the nations. They do not surprise him. He raises them up and pulls them down. He uses them to his end. But, he DOES NOT cause evil or generate evil actions from them. He uses those actions to bring about his plan, but he is not the cause. Men and nations are free to choose their own course of action. His wisdom and greatness of knowledge allows him to masterfully weave them into his plan with little direct influence. How does he do that? Do we really think we could understand it? I can think of human ways to do it, but I have no true idea how God does it. He certainly influences people through his word, through his Spirit opening their eyes, through the removal of his protection from Satan (see Job)--so, there are many ways for him to indirectly control the nations. And sometimes, as in the case of Isa 36-39, he intervenes directly. What is the application? We should not worry about what nations do. God understands their course. They do not affect his plan. He long ago understood how evil men and evil nations would evolve. He has a plan, we need not fear.

QT 18 Sep 15, Isa 40:1-5, A needed message: comfort

Isa 40:1-5 (ESV) Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

2  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

and cry to her

that her warfare is ended,

that her iniquity is pardoned,

that she has received from the Lord's hand

double for all her sins.

3  A voice cries:

"In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;

 make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

4  Every valley shall be lifted up,

and every mountain and hill be made low;

the uneven ground shall become level,

and the rough places a plain.

5  And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,

and all flesh shall see it together,

 for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

NOTE: These verses are so encouraging. The first verse is really the title of the paragraph and maybe for the second half of Isaiah as well, it is a message of comfort. And the message is centered on preparation for the Lord--He is coming; Jesus is coming; and for us, Jesus has come. John the Baptist would be the voice. Jesus was and is the answer. Jesus brings us comfort. And the message of Jesus is that the battle has ended and our sin is pardoned. Isaiah also calls them "tender" words because they heal and do not hurt. God is in a healing business. Those of us abused by the world and deceived by sin can come to Jesus. He has come. He gives comfort to the downtrodden and rest for the weary. He makes us right in his eyes. He allows us to see his glory and experience the hope of history and of all mankind, salvation from our sin and a future with God who loves us deeply. What a wonderful message and a wonderful way to begin the second half of Isaiah's message. It is also ironical that the first 39 chapters, dealing with Israel's history also correspond to the English bible's 39 books of the OT. The last 27 chapters, corresponding to the NT's 27 books also start out similarly, John the Baptist and the coming of Jesus. The first 39 chapters is a sad history of failure punctuated by God intervening and trying to get the people's attention. The last 27 chapters is a redeeming message of joy and hope, just as the new covenant is so much different from the old covenant.

QT 17 Sep 15, Isa 39:4-8, Choose wisely

Isa 39:4-8 (ESV) He (Isaiah, Ed.) said, "What have they seen in your house?" Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them."

5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: 6  Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. 7  And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." 8 Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, "The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good." For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my days."

NOTE: Hezekiah's response is a less than flattering indicator of his character. He shows more concern with his peace and security than that of his future heirs. But on the other hand, there really is little he can do. He can ONLY seek to affect affairs directly related to his time. He could try to train up his children to pass on to their children certain truths, but that is already recorded in the word of God and it has not made much of an impact on children of kings to this point. In fact, it is more probable a king walks with God when his Father has NOT than a King walks with God because his Father did. Some of the worse kings came from godly Fathers. So, I suppose the most one can hope for from a temporal perspective is peace and security in their day. Secondly, there is no indication (at least here) that his "showing off" is what causes the Babylonian destruction. The actual event is 100 years in the future. Rather, it is a prophecy, given well before the time anyone could have guessed, and again underlining the fact, that God rules over the affairs of nations. So, what is the point? I think it is this--we are responsible for how we live. We can't hold ourselves responsible for others who also have free will. We have choices to make and we must do right.

QT 16 Sep 15, Isa 38:17a, Pain and suffering for our welfare

Isa 38:17a (ESV) Behold, it was for my welfare

that I had great bitterness; …

NOTE: Hezekiah's words are a hard thing to say--I know, I have been there. No one likes to suffer. No one enjoys that "pit-in-the-stomach" feeling that lingers. We all want to avoid pain. None of us embrace pain really, even if Philippians or James say to. Their exhortations are meant to carry us through and help us to see the true value of pain. I seriously doubt anyone says: "boy, I can't wait for the next painful suffering to come upon me." But, we all can look back on pain and most of us can say, "you know, that was for my good--I didn't like it, but it was for my good." That is what Hezekiah is saying. He doesn't really explain why it was for his welfare. For most people, pain and suffering helps us to focus on what really is important to life. It is at those points that we shed the unimportant things that hinder us. We wonder how they caught our attention in the first place, they seem so common and useless in retrospect. What is most important? Pain helps us to see it. But it would be REALLY nice, to figure it out before we have to go through what Hezekiah calls "great bitterness." It might be possible to forego this latter step, but it requires, not only a deep and abiding relationship with God, but even more importantly, obedience to the issues he raises in our life. Maybe it won't stop all pain and suffering, I would agree that is true, but I do believe it will reduce some.

QT 15 Sep 15, Isa 38:1, 4-6, Our prayers matter

Isa 38:1, 4-6 (ESV)  In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, "Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover."

. . .

4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 "Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.  6  I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city.

NOTE: So, here is a clear example of God "changing his mind." Actually, that would be a hard case to argue. God fully knew the choices that Hezekiah had to his announcement, and knew what He would do depending upon Hezekiah's free will choice. The only two things which seem to affect a decree of God are 1) prayer and 2) repentance. In this case, there is clearly prayer, and the tears might even suggest repentance. There is no argument or evidence to suggest that every decree of God can be changed using this formula. The only thing we know is it has happened in scripture, here and also in at least one other case in Exodus. But I suppose the larger point is that prayer affects the will of God. And, that is quite mysterious, because, why should our prayers matter to the sovereign God of the universe? But He does allow them to matter, and rather than wrestling with the why, we should focus on the factual matter, namely, our prayers can influence our life and others. So, why aren't we praying more?

QT 14 Sep 15, Isa 37:28-29, 36-37, Complacency is the great danger of life

Isa 37:28-29, 36-37 (ESV)

28 "'I know your sitting down

and your going out and coming in,

and your raging against me.

29  Because you have raged against me

and your complacency has come to my ears,

I will put my hook in your nose

and my bit in your mouth,

and I will turn you back on the way

by which you came.'

…

36  And the angel of the Lord went out and struck down a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 37 Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh.

NOTE: This was a devastating loss to the Assyrians and while they would still defeat Babylon in battle in the years ahead, ultimately it will be Babylon which will conquer the Assyrian kingdom. It's quite possible that Babylon empire never happens if not for this event. The problem here is two-fold, one, the Assyrians did not realize that the God of the universe had given them their victories. They believed that their accomplishments were because of their own power and superior intelligence. The REAL superior intelligence was using Assyria for His own purposes, to bring judgment upon His people for their sin (the ten tribes to the north) and to warn His people (the two tribes to the south) to repent. Because of Assyria's boastful words, God starts the process of Assyria's decline. He will use another world power to bring judgment to the remaining two tribes if they do not repent (that will be Babylon). The second aspect was complacency. They just believed life "happened." They go out, they conquer, they enjoy the fruits, and they do it again in the morning. As believers, we can develop a similar complacency to life, neglecting our real source of strength; and that is our relationship to God. Oftentimes God will bring about an effect to jolt us to our senses. Sometimes it is the still small voice, sometimes it is a little louder, and sometimes it seems so devastating as if it would destroy us. But we will not be destroyed if we repent and turn back to our savior. He loves us greatly and does not desire our destruction but our salvation.

QT 12 Sep 15, Isa 37:14-20, Knowledgeable prayer, not wishful thinking

Isa 37:14-20 (ESV) Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: 16 "O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 17  Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 18 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, 19 and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. 20 So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord."

NOTE: Hezekiah receives a letter from the King of Assyria which essentially says, 'No other nation or gods have stopped us, do not trust your God to do any better' (heavily paraphrased version of Isa 37:9-13). Hezekiah does the right thing. He immediately goes to God. He lays it out before God. He prays the truths of God's word. Of course the latter requires a knowledge of God, otherwise our prayers are just wishful thinking. But Hezekiah does know God. He knows how great God is. He knows that the God of Judah is the God of the Universe and is not in any way like other gods, in fact, other gods do not even exist. On the basis of his knowledge of the REAL God, he makes his request, "… save us from his hand …" It is a great prayer--simple, thoughtful, knowledgeable about God, and honest--the best kind of prayer. And it is answered in a miraculous way. Does God always answer miraculously? No, but He does always answer in the best way for our good. Sometimes it takes a while to see it, but he promises it (Rom 8:28). We might view his "good" differently than our idea of "good," but it is good.

QT 10 Sep 15, Isa 37:1-4, What is our concept of God?

Isa 37:1-4 (ESV) As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. 2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. 3 They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. 4  It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.'"

NOTE: Yesterday I may have incorrectly stated that Hezekiah went to Isaiah (indirectly to God) first, and that is not true. He went to the house of the Lord first. And then he sent a message to Isaiah asking for prayer. What is unusual in Hezekiah's message to Isaiah is that twice, Hezekiah refers to God as "the Lord your God," instead of "the Lord our God." Maybe it was humility because spiritually Hezekiah's faith was nowhere near as strong as Isaiah's. And so he did not want to communicate that his concept of God was the same as Isaiah's. In other words, he felt Isaiah really knew who God was (as best as a human might), and his understanding of God was much more limited and even incorrect. He wanted Isaiah's God, not the idol he might have created in his own mind of who God is and how he must act. We all do this to some extent. We form a picture of who we want God to be as opposed to what scripture says him to be. We pick and choose verses to build our concept. And so we end up creating an idol that we call the one true God. But if it is based on our desire for what God ought to be and not scripture's description of what God is, it IS an idol. And it is not much different than olden times where people took a piece of wood and fashioned it into an idol (their picture of God). And then they placed it on some central place (which is supposed to suggest centrality in their life, but it didn't), and also it was a shelf usually. When they needed him, they would go to him, but otherwise they would ignore him. If they needed to move him, they could control him and re-position as they felt necessary. What a false concept of God! But is the idol we have created in our mind any different?

QT 9 Sep 15, Isa 36:11, God is tremendously patient, but that does not mean he will never act

Isa 36:14-15 (ESV)Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. 15 Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, "The Lord will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."

NOTE: Sennacherib's representative, Rabshakeh, is speaking here. This passage forms an interesting contrast to similar passages in Jeremiah. In this passage, the "preferred" message is the one that Hezekiah is giving--"trust in the Lord and he will deliver us." In Jeremiah, his message is "surrender to Babylon and God will protect your life." Two different, and yet similar, prophecies. The first we want to hear, but the second we do not. How can you have two courses of actions from God? Well, that part is simple. At this point, Judah is supposed to learn by what happened to her sister, Israel. In a little over 100 years, Judah will prove that she did not learn anything. And God will change from mercy to judgment to get Judah's attention. It is not pretty. It is not desired. But God's interest in our relationship is far more important than our interest in our comfort. Hezekiah will double check with Isaiah (and indirectly God) in the next chapter, and that is always the most important thing to do. In fact, it is the first step back to what God desired all along--a deep personal relationship with his children. God will fight for that and do what is necessary to bring us back, it is painful, but usually effective. It could be much worse, God could care less.

QT 8 Sep 15, Isa 35:3-6, God offers to the faithful something better than life can give

Isa 35:3-6 (ESV) Strengthen the weak hands,

and make firm the feeble knees.

4 Say to those who have an anxious heart,

"Be strong; fear not!

 Behold, your God

will come with vengeance,

with the recompense of God.

He will come and save you."

5  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

6  then shall the lame man leap like a deer,

and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.

 For waters break forth in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert;

NOTE: I love this passage. Isn't that how we feel when life seems broken--anxious hearts? And the message is "be strong, fear not, …, He will come and save you." But who does that apply to? Is it a verse that anyone can take? The passage is directed toward Israel during dark days of Israel's history--probably the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib, which follows this chapter. But it also fits a common motif in scripture that is used again and again, and even finds itself in the NT, "do not be anxious about anything, but in all things, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God, which is beyond understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." This NT passage and the OT passage seemed to be aimed at the faithful believer who is undergoing a difficult time in life. A faithful believer can also be an unfaithful believer who repents and seeks God. God allows our status to change quite quickly. But repentance must be real and God is not tricked by feigned repentance. And to the believer, God promises peace to protect our faith. He does not necessarily, at least in the NT verses, offer salvation from the circumstance. But the passages do imply, he offers something far greater and far more important. Something that gives life and does not seep life from you--streams in the desert. Oh Lord, give us your streams. Help us to live for your peace.