The Girl Next Door ☎︎: God With Us

My Quiet Place

God With Us

Once upon a time there lived a not so good king (of Judah) named Ahaz. In Isaiah 7, we read that the Lord gave Ahaz a not so good prophesy. Ahaz and the rest of his people were currently very, very frightened. They were literally shaking with fear...like "the trees of the forest shake before the wind" (Is. 7:2). The kings of Israel and Syria had threatened to attack their land. The nation of Judah had just gone through a very brutal war so the thought of another great battle left them feeling hopeless and afraid. They were not placing their trust in God.

Fear is unstable. Faith is firm.

Now back to the prophesy. God told Ahaz that he did not have to be afraid! When a problem arises in our lives, we can follow the same commands that God gave Ahaz:

"Take heed" -- pay attention, listen!

"Be Quiet" -- stop thinking about and talking about your problems!

"Do not fear" -- trust me and take courage in me!

"If you are not firm in your faith, you will not be firm at all" (Is. 7:9).

The Lord revealed to Ahaz that the people who were out to get him are really not that bad. God promised that their threat "shall not stand and it shall not come to pass" (Is. 7:7). God even asked Ahaz to request a sign from Him. Since that is typically not how the Lord tends to work, if God offered me a sign, I would have snatched it up in a heartbeat! But Ahaz, in his stubbornness and doubt, refused the Lord's gift. But while I may be quick to judge Ahaz, how often do I refuse God's gifts? He gives me life. I choose sin. He gives me peace. I choose fear. He gives me joy, I choose to sulk in self-pity. God gives me promises, I choose doubt.

Instead of trusting in God, Ahaz sided with Assyria in order to bring down Israel and Syria. Ahaz chose to trust in the corrupt and brutal country of Assyria instead of God Almighty.

Now here comes the not so good part about God's prophesy. Assyria will prove to be worse than his own enemies. Instead of Syria and Israel invading, Assyria will attack Judah. God's prophesy would come true whether or not Ahaz believed it. God's warning of faith (Is. 7:9) would come true, as well, if Ahaz continued in doubt. He would pay.

"If you don't take your stand in faith, you won't have a leg to walk on" (Is. 7:9 The Message).

God chose to give the people a sign of His promise despite Ahaz's rejection. Talk about grace! God blesses us with gifts even when we don't appreciate them. I find it extremely ironic that His sign was His own Son, Immanuel which means God with us. God is with us. We do not have to fear!

{ "Jesus is called Immanuel, or God with us, in his incarnation; God with us, by the influences of his Holy Spirit, in the holy sacrament, in the preaching of his word, in private prayer. And God with us, through every action of our life, that we begin, continue, and end in his name. He is God with us, to comfort, enlighten, protect, and defend us, in every time of temptation and trial, in the hour of death, in the day of judgment; and God with us and in us, and we with and in him, to all eternity." Clarke }

If Ahaz fully comprehended this truth, He would have placed His faith in God, received peace and confidence, and only trusted in God for protection. The victims of Assyria could "take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us" (Is. 8:10). God's prophesy was going to come about no matter their resistance. The best thing Judah could do at this point was fear God and wait for the Lord.

The promised Messiah would bring much relief to the invaded lands. Jesus increases joy (Is. 9:3), conquers spiritual enemies (Is. 9:4), and brings light to the darkness (Is. 9:2).

I love what the name of Jesus entails about His character. He is WONDERFUL. You will never get bored with Jesus. He is COUNSELOR. He is capable to lead our lives. He is MIGHTY GOD. If He had not been God, He would have been unlawful. He is the EVERLASTING FATHER. By dying on the cross, He became the author of eternity. He is the PRINCE OF PEACE. He reconciled God and man.

The story of Ahaz surrounding this messianic prophesy, although ugly, flows beautifully with the foretelling of Jesus because the heart of Jesus contrasts so harshly with Ahaz's heart. We are Ahaz. We get scared. We choose to trust inferior people and things over trusting in the superior God. Pathetic I know. Our lack of faith cripples us. Thank you God that out of your "zeal" for your people (Is. 9:7), you sent us the Messiah.

Whenever things go wrong, He is Wonderful.

Whenever we don't know what to do, He is our Counselor.

Whenever I need strength, He is Mighty.

Whenever Satan messes with our conscious, He is Peace.

{ "Remember, there is nothing that happens in your daily life, but what was first of all devised in eternity, and counseled by Jesus Christ for your good and in your behalf, that all things might work together for your lasting benefit and profit...Let us learn to leave providence in the hand of The Counsellor." Spurgeon}

In the midst of Ahaz' messed up story, God gave the promise God Is With Us.