Isaiah 35:3–4 states, “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.'”
In a world filled with war and terrorism, exploitation and extortion, lies and deceit, and political corruption, it is easy to become disillusioned by the present and take our eyes off the future. However, from the history of Israel, through the existence of the church, and right up to the end, God has always urged His people to keep looking up to Him rather than looking around at circumstances. Here in Isaiah 35:3 and also in Hebrews 12:12 where Isaiah 35:3 is quoted, we read of our responsibility to help redirect others who have started looking around instead of looking up.
That’s not to say we move through life ignorant of the times and uninvolved in the world. It means we keep our hearts and minds focused on the reality that this life and this world are temporal and that heaven is our eternal habitation. God is coming back to the earth, and He is coming with vengeance and recompense. In other words, He will punish and repay those who reject His offer of forgiveness and those who persecute His people. We are not to rejoice in the punishment of the wicked, as God takes no pleasure in their deaths (Ezek. 33:11), but justice is not justice if truth does not prevail in the end.
So if the world seems a bit overwhelming at times, and injustice and unfairness are gnawing at your spirit, don’t forget, He is coming to save you! By remembering this, you will be strong and not fear. Your hands need not be weakened or your knees made feeble by the intimidation of injustice. In old Western movies, when the cavalry was down to its last rounds and all hope was gone, the sound of a bugle signified that help was on the way and the battle was about to turn. Consider this devotional the sound of the bugle today. Help is on the way, and justice will prevail in the end!
