Published
Read Isaiah 58:9-12
"Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in."
Reflect
What responsibilities do we have as believers? What does God promise?
There are few things more terrifying than claustrophobia--that fear you feel when you're in a tight place and can't move. Sometimes it happens when you're trapped in very small area, even an elevator. But have you ever felt claustrophobic in your own town?
It's not quite the same kind of situation, but the reactions are similar. Suddenly, the town they grew up is too small. They want to see the world, but not just to see. They know it won't necessarily be better elsewhere, but just the fact that it's something else makes it better. They start feeling like if they don't escape now, they never will. It's a trapped kind of feeling. A feeling that if they can't escape, their life will be wasted.
Unlike claustrophobia though, sometimes this isn't an irrational emotion. Sometimes it's God calling you out into the world. Did you ever wonder what Abraham's friends and family thought about when he packed up and left his hometown? Abraham knew what he was doing. God had told him, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you" (Genesis 12:1). But did those around him understand this?
Jesus understood that sometimes leaving is hard, but when it's in response to God's call, it's necessary. "And Jesus replied, 'I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return, a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property'" (Mark 10:29-30).
Pray
Lord, help me to trust You with my future. Help me to not live in fear. Amen.