Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Scripture:  Isaiah 8:10 (NIV):  "Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us."

Thought:  To me, God almost taunts or dares Satan to bring on his worst!

Question:  Have I found the golden victory that is in and through Christ because He is "with" me?

This verse is addressed to "the nations" and "all you distant lands", (verse 9 of yesterday's blog).  They are the worldly who have risen against God's chosen people, Judah (the true Israel).  

Worldly man makes his plans.  He takes great pains to arrange complicated and clever strategies of war and battle.  In doing so, he thinks he will succeed where others have failed in the past.  Apply this even beyond the "games of war."  Apply it to any area where man feels self-confident in his ideas and proposals.  Man's suggestions are endless!  Why do we weary so easily with politicians?  We hear titillating words of promised peace or success, and we are led to believe such a person may make a difference.  Time and time again we will try to bank on certain leaders, or certain policies.  

God is clearly saying that no matter what strategy or plan is brought forth by those who would oppose God's people, "it will be thwarted...it will not stand".  (See Proverbs 16:1; 16:9 and 19:21).  No matter how powerful or overwhelming the enemy (even dreaded Assyria), they cannot succeed against God Almighty.  Though their strategies be devised and plans proposed, none will stand, "for God is with us", that is, with Judah.  "God is with us", as you will recall, is the meaning of the word "Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14).  "If God be for us, who can be against us?"  (Romans 8:31) 

What I find most interesting is that God will remain faithful and loyal to Judah even though He is also allowing them to be subjected to the disciplinary "punishments" of judgment.  We may be amazed by this; yet if we remembered how our good parents raised us as children, we would understand immediately that this is the true behavior of a very strong love.  Good parents always love, remaining everlastingly loyal and faithful to their children, and they may display their love by being firm and tough in the discipline of their children.  Scripture clearly teaches in other places that true parental love would never set aside "the rod of correction", or else the child will become "spoiled."  (See Proverbs 22:15; 23:13 and 29:15).  I'm afraid our American culture has, by and large, lost their understanding of the principles of "tough love."  

This simple verse says that no matter what the enemy may throw at us, God will stick with us because He loves us.  If our earthly fathers and mothers demonstrated this kind of love, that is wonderful, and we are probably better children for it; but God's demonstrations of love far exceed those of our earthly parents!

God not only loves us, He has promised to be with us.  Think about how wonderful that promise is!

Prayer:  Omnipresent God, thank You that You can be here with me!  Thank You that Your Holy Spirit can indwell me!  Thank You that Your love for me protects me from whatever the enemy may devise against me.  The enemy's plans will be thwarted--they will not stand!  Amen.   

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