Evening Scripture Isaiah, Chapter 41“Be silent before me, you islands!Let the nations renew their strength!Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the place of judgment. “Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service?He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him.He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow.He pursues them and moves on unscathed, by a path his feet have not traveled before.Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning?I, the Lord—with the first of them and with the last—I am he.” The islands have seen it and fear; the ends of the earth tremble.They approach and come forward; they help each other and say to their companions,“Be strong!”The metalworker encourages the goldsmith, and the one who smooths with the hammer spurs on the one who strikes the anvil.One says of the welding, “It is good.”The other nails down the idol so it will not topple. “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants ofAbraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you.I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them.Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all.For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.“See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth.You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away.But you will rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel. “The poor and needy search for water,but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst.But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys.I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it. “Present your case,” says the Lord.“Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.“Tell us, you idols, what is going to happen.Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them and know their final outcome.Or declare to us the things to come. tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods.Do something, whether good or bad, so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear.But you are less than nothing and your works are utterly worthless; whoever chooses you is detestable. “I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes— one from the rising sun who calls on my name.He treads on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading the clay.Who told of this from the beginning, so we could know, or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’? No one told of this, no one foretold it, no one heard any words from you.I was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.I look but there is no one—no one among the gods to give counsel, no one to give answer when I ask them.See, they are all false!Their deeds amount to nothing; their images are but wind and confusion. Evening Reflection On hard days, of which there are many in a fallen world, I find myself praying, “… when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I" (Psalm 61:2). I pray Scripture on these overwhelming days because when my mind is so heavy and my worries keep me too afraid to sit still, what great, crafty prayers can I offer on my own? What words of true fervor, and even true faith, can my anxious mind create? In 2019, I was diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a mental condition in which the neuron transmitters in my brain don’t fire properly, specifically the messages that should allow serotonin to be emitted throughout my body. This makes happiness something I must fight my faulty biology for. It means that experiencing unabashed joy is an uphill battle that I only win when I let the Holy Spirit grant me His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). OCD plagues a person with relentless, intrusive thoughts that can’t be dismissed or ignored. Thus, I’m fighting constant unwanted thoughts with a body that doesn’t produce the “happy” hormone as it should. Needless to say, Overwhelm and I are trauma-bonded sisters, and while I appreciate the warnings and protection that Overwhelm tries to offer, I would rather her not have my contact information, let alone a relationship with me. It has taken years of dismantling pride, day by day, but I can now admit that without the strength of God Almighty, I would be swallowed, utterly consumed, by life. Fear, worry, sadness, anxiousness, and even bitterness for my lot in life would leave me in a continuous tailspin that I couldn’t correct or salvage on my own. The more I admit my inabilities, the more I find His strength. The more I find His strength, the more I find joy and hope. And when joy and hope are at your soul’s disposal, always there to steady your head and heart, you’re spiritually invincible, able to have God’s eyes to see, His heart to love, and His faith in the impossible. Evening Prayer Father,As the day draws to a close, grant us your strength to rebuke the thoughts and fears that seek to ruin our faith. Let us humbly confess that, apart from you, we can do no good thing. Truly, every good and perfect gift, like those of hope, joy, and faith, is from you (James 1:17).May we be bold enough to admit when we are overwhelmed, and may we be ready to hand over the circumstances that plague us and weigh us down. In this surrender, let us feel your warmth. Let us see your light. And let us step forward, walking into a new day, knowing that even if our circumstances don’t change, we choose your perspective.Shift our hearts to what matters, and may our minds leave all other forms of busyness, distractions, and temporary troubles by the wayside.Thank you, God, that you are our rock, our great rescue, our good, good protector.In your holy name, Father.Amen. How did tonight’s scripture speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Your Nightly Scripture forum discussion. Want More? If tonight’s episode blessed you, be sure to follow the show so your next nightly scripture is ready when you are. Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
