Isaiah 52:5 “And now what do I have here?” declares the LORD.
“For my people have been taken away for nothing,
and those who rule them mock,”
declares the LORD.
“And all day long
my name is constantly blasphemed.”

Am I reading a Bible passage written over 2500 years ago, or am I reading God’s commentary on today? This certainly seems to capture the attitude toward Christianity of the current government in the US, and probably several other countries as well. It is particularly striking in the US because only decades ago such attitudes, policies and actions would have been unthinkable. No human being, and thus no human institution, is perfect, but from its founding America declared its dependence on the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and dated everything by how many years it had been since the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. I won’t go into the countless current examples of the opposite attitude that shout at us today. The important thing for us to notice here is that this verse appears in the middle of a passage of hope, talking about God’s deliverance from such conditions. It is vital for Christians in every nation to remember that God is still God, and in the end, He and those who are in Christ win. However painful the immediate circumstances, physically, emotionally, spiritually, or some combination of those, such suffering is limited in time. Our victory in Christ is eternal! That doesn’t mean at all that we are to “roll over and play dead,” especially in a democracy, but it does mean we are never to lose hope.

I keep running into passages like this! I’ve certainly done plenty of “moaning and groaning” over current events in recent years, but the Lord has gently been scolding me for that attitude. I am to keep my eyes on Him and teach others to do likewise, not ignoring current events but not being dragged down by them either. When we have that attitude, we can actually be amused at those who think they are “getting away with” spitting in the face of God. This has been an issue since the Garden of Eden, so rather than feeling like God can’t defend Himself, I need to abide in Christ and in the peace that only He can give. (John 14:27) I need to be one of those with “beautiful feet” it talks about in verse 7, proclaiming that God is God, and nothing can change that.

Father, thank You for yet another reminder. You’ve given me quite a few of these recently. Help me be an effective communicator of the good news of Your kingdom, Your rule and reign, so that more and more people may submit with joy to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!