Isaiah 42:4 “He will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope.”

In any major undertaking, there’s always the danger of running out of steam before you finish. Through Isaiah, God is assuring us that won’t happen with Christ. The devil keeps trying to tell us, “The Christian movement is in danger!” but it’s just not true. After all, it doesn’t depend on human strength, wisdom, or anything else, but on God. Specific human institutions rise and fall, so there’s no cause to be complacent, but Christ will never fail. This should be particularly encouraging when we see so much injustice in the world around us. We need to remember that it’s just short-term! God is always fully just, whatever craziness we see going on around us.

That said, it’s the next line of this verse that has always blessed me. Born and raised of missionary parents in Japan, with over 30 years as a missionary in Japan under my belt myself, I have always loved Isaiah’s many references to islands. I know there are many island nations in the world, but I have always claimed these verses for Japan! This line, “The islands will wait in hope for His teaching,” has encouraged and comforted me when it has seemed at times that the Japanese don’t want the Word of the Lord. In reading this, I hear the Lord telling me that there are literally millions of Japanese just waiting to hear His Word expressed to them in ways that they can understand that it is indeed for them, and not some foreign philosophy. The cultural barriers are indeed huge, but they are no match for God! I am never to give up, because Christ will never falter or be discouraged, and I am in Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s easy to get discouraged when I focus on the physical, myself or my circumstances. Help me keep my eyes on Christ, (Hebrews 12:2) knowing that in Him I am indeed more than a conqueror, (Romans 8:37) and so move forward boldly in obedience to You, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!