Isa
52:11-12 (ESV)
11 Depart, depart, go out from there;
touch
no unclean thing;
go out
from the midst of her; purify yourselves,
you who bear the vessels of the Lord.
12 For
you shall not go out in haste,
and you
shall not go in flight,
for the Lord will go before you,
and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
NOTE: The verse is
very specific to the nation of Israel, but I believe that there is a basic
principle that is true for believers in God in all situations. The principle is
twofold: as we face changes in life, God promises to go before us and to be our
rear guard. Changes in life suggest new and unexpected challenges. God is fully
aware of those. He promises to "work for good" in those unknown
occurrences. He does not promise to take away the pain, but he does know what
is best for us and he will work for our good (Rom 8:28). Also, he promises to
be our rear guard. What does that mean, since God often lets us experience the
consequences of our bad decisions? I think it is similar to the first point. He
knows what is coming (from behind as a result of our previous choices) and he
will work it for good in our life. He is not surprised. He will not be
surprised. He is committed to our relationship with him. He may deflect some of
the consequences or reduce them in his mercy, but he will certainly work for
our good. That is his promise to the New Covenant believer. He is on our side.
He is going before us and he is covering our backs. It will be for our best in
the long run. Trust him!
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