Are You Willing?

Isaiah 41:1-10

We ended Isaiah 40 with these words from God; “Have you not known? Have you not heard?  

 The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or 

grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who 

has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men 

shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall 

mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not 

faint.”  (Isaiah 40:30-31 ESV)

Have you given any thought to how our culture has molded you, yes, it has molded 

Christians into its patterns, and one of those patterns is that we do not like to wait we want 

what we want now.  Before you blow it off, take note, is your strength in need of renewal, 

are you loaded down with the many cares of this world, are you faint?  God’s offer is open 

to anyone who will wait for the LORD.

As we enter into chapter 41, it begins in this way, “Listen to me in silence, O coastlands.”  

Your Bible may say island, but Isaiah is referring to far off lands, all the nations of the world.   

“Listen”, once more we live in a culture that requires noise, we say we like silence, but it is 

not true, check yourself, what is the first thing you do, turn on the noise, you call it music, 

or talk radio, television, computer, I phone, and yes, we miss the voice of the Spirit of God in 

all the racket.

In verses 2-4, Isaiah is referring to Cyrus king of Persia, but God is taking credit for his 

victory over Babylon for Cyrus is the tool God is using to bring the exile of Judah to an end.  

 As we explore verses 5-7, it seems fear has come over the world at large, much like in 

our time, and we, like them, are asking our craftsmen to build us something we can trust in.   

For these nations it was idols in whom they trusted, and today it is in our military, our 

bank accounts, or maybe even in our Constitution, but the voice that is asking us to listen 

in silence, calls all of those idols.

But listen, read and reread what God is saying to Israel in verses 8-10, “But you, Israel, 

my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I 

took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are 

my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; fear not, for I am with you; be not 

dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my 

righteous right hand.”  (Isaiah 41:8-10 ESV)

First and foremost, God is calling Israel to remember His promises to Jacob, to Abraham, 

and though living independently of God’s authority has brought about judgment, God is now 

bringing them home, and reminding them they are His chosen people.  So fear not, for I 

am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I 

will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  So we need to break the pattern of not waiting 

on and not listening to our Great God, it is a habit, and it can be changed, are you willing?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice