Isaiah 42:17 January 5, 2014

Tom Holder

Isaiah 42:17

"They shall be turned back and utterly put to shame—those who TRUST in carved images, who say to cast images, "You are our gods."  NRSV

I once saw a movie or TV production which featured, in part, a very young boy who had a very no-good daddy as a role model, yet the boy seemed to love the no-good daddy, idolizing and trusting him against all odds. In one scene the little boy was high on a ladder and showed a reluctance to climb down without help. When his no-good daddy saw his predicament, he called to the little boy, "Jump and I will catch you." The boy did but the no-good daddy didn't, allowing the little boy to fall flat on the ground. As the little boy began to cry the no-good daddy turned and walked away saying, "That will teach you never to trust anyone except yourself."

God has told Isaiah that He will make their way easy, turning darkness into light, rough ground level and guide them through it all if they will only TRUST Him and not rely on carved or cast images which will only put them to shame.

That same message applies today, still warning us not to TRUST the carved or cast images in our lives, which will only steal our TRUST and put us to shame. He has told us about THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIGHT; now let us add TRUST to that list and leave our worries behind.