We should have confidence about the future but what should be the source of that confidence? Isaiah sees a king who will reign in righteousness. Leaders will rule with justice. They will be like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the storm, and streams of water in the desert. Eyes will see, ears will hear, and the fearful will understand the word of God. Fools and scoundrels will be no more. What is noble and right will stand. This king is the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He died for our sins, rose from the dead and now reigns from heaven. Even now the Spirit transforms wasteland-like lives into fruitful lives (15,16). God's people have peace, quietness, and security (17,18). Because Jesus will come again to fully establish his kingdom, we can have eternal confidence in him.

Isaiah contrasts this vision with the complacent woman in Jerusalem. They thought their lives were secure because they wore fine clothes and their fields had been fruitful. Their confidence was not in God but in what they could see. In a year, the Assyrians would come and devastate them.

Is your confidence rooted in things that can be taken away in a moment? Or is it in Christ who will return to rule with righteousness and justice?


Application: Lord, thank you for a bright future because Jesus reigns in righteousness. Help us to depend on you only instead of visible things.
One Word: Put your confidence in God alone.