A mighty fortress is our God
The islands have seen it and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward; they help each other and say to their companions, “Be strong!” The metalworker encourages the goldsmith, and the one who smooths with the hammer spurs on the one who strikes the anvil. One says of the welding, “It is good.” The other nails down the idol so it will not topple. Isaiah 41:1-4 NIV
God is inviting the whole humanity to think deeply and consider His claim that He is who He claims to be. He proves this by showing His sovereignty through the prophecies that were fulfilled as declared by the prophets. This is what Isaiah is claiming from the text where it was predicted that Cyrus will rise up and rule. This event was prophesied over a century in advance. Prophecies are a worthy argument to prove God’s presence and sovereignty. But the sad thing is that instead of believing and trusting God, people reinforced their idols. “The metalworker encourages the goldsmith, and the one who smooths with the hammer spurs on the one who strikes the anvil. One says of the welding, “It is good.” The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.” The people are seeking stability and strength while facing difficulties in life. Instead of dependence upon God, they fear Him so they fashioned for themselves gods that will soothe them in times of trouble. God is always on the move and He calls on us to place our trust in Him. When we stop believing Him, we will believe in anything. Isaiah described the goldsmith forming the metal into an idol and declared his work as “it is good.” It is a mockery of what God declared in Genesis 1 proclaiming His creation “good.” If we do not find the joy of serving and worshiping the God of creation, we will miss experiencing that His arms are the Mighty Fortress we can rest upon. “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2). God is here with us and He is at work. Knowing Him as our Lord and Savior provides us fortitude to face anything in life. “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
Blessings,
