Give us strength
Day 326, Thursday, July 3
Isaiah Chapters 34 – 36
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.
You’ll recognize the second part of today’s reading from the time when Assyria was threatening to overtake Jerusalem during Hezekiah’s reign.
The officials on Hezehiah’s side ask that the officials on the other side speak in Aramaic rather than Hebrew so that the surrounding crowd would not be able to understand the threats and be fearful.
The Assyrians refused; intimidating the crowd was part of their strategy.
In spite of their efforts, the people kept their nerve and stayed behind Hezekiah, and Jerusalem stood firm.
The enemies of God always attack the people with fear and spread their words of intimidation as widely as they can, seeking to undermine support for the leaders who are trying to do God’s will.
The prayer today’s reading opens with is a prayer for strength in the face of fear…it’s a prayer we need in many circumstances day by day.

Thursday meditation

Job 1:20-22
At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Prayer focus
Strengthen our feeble hands and steady our fearful hearts, O God.

-Rev. Mark Fleming