4 Truths that Steady Us as the World Spins Faster

Inside: When time flies by and it seems like the world is spinning out of control, the Book of Isaiah offers comfort and encouragement.

I’ve been blinking so much lately it feels like I’m in a perpetual dust storm.

I blinked and it’s November.

I blinked and the vibrant fall leaves are blanketing the ground.

I blinked and Thanksgiving is two weeks away.

I blinked and my daughter turned 21.

I blinked and I turned—well, another year older.

It’s as if we emerged from some kind of weird Covid-19 time warp into a world spinning so fast we can hardly keep up. Add in any number of societal changes and challenges, and it sometimes seems as if our entire planet is spiraling out of control.

But is it really?

Reading through the Book of Isaiah reminds me that this perception is not reality, however. Yes, our world is riddled with problems—many of which will not be fully solved until Christ returns. But here’s an important truth to remember right now: all the spinning and spiraling and swirling—both real and imagined—is known to God and under His control.

After all, He is the One who “created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it.” (Isaiah 42:5)

That’s us—the people on the earth and those who walk on it. No matter what is happening in us or around us, the same God who created the world is faithful to breathe life into our weary, anxious minds and bodies—primarily through the scriptures.

For example

When worries about the mid-term elections, the economy or the world at large crowd our minds, Isaiah 46:8 has good counsel:

“Remember this and be brave; take it to heart, you transgressors! Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and no one is like me. I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: my plan will take place, and I will do all my will.”

When we don’t know what to do or how to respond, Isaiah 48:17 reminds us where our help comes from:

“This is what the Lord, your Redeemer the Holy One of Israel says: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who leads you in the way you should go.”

When we find ourselves fearing an uncertain future, Isaiah 46:4 offers this promise:

“I will be the same until your old age, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you and I will carry you; I will bear and rescue you.”

Finally, when we lack words to pray in the midst of confusion and weakness, Isaiah 33:2 (among many others) rolls out a gentle template:

“Lord, be gracious to us! We wait for you. Be our strength every morning and our salvation in time of trouble.”

♥ Lois

P.S. I’m linking up this week with #tellhisstory, InstaEncouragements, Recharge Wednesday, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth.