The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced.
On him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again, as you also join in helping us by your prayers.
I’m having a conversation with a couple of followers of Jesus bemoaning together the current state of the Christian church in the United States, of our nation and the world itself. The church is crippled by encroaching secularism. Violence is in our streets – even our server at breakfast this morning spoke of the danger she and her brother felt when they lived in a different city. Then comes the violence of terroristic plots and attacks. Add to that the current political climate.
Truth be told, while we may not have gross sins to live down, we each struggle with our own sinful inclinations and temptations. We, like Isaiah need God’s help or else we would be disgraced. And, like Paul, we set our hopes on God’s rescue and redemption.
Lest we despair, God places people in our lives who pray for us. The Christian Faith is not about creating heaven on earth; that cannot be done. Our hope is not even just to get by until we die. Our hope is for the Great Last Day and the culmination of all of Christ’s work in behalf of the world. In the mean time, we thank God for those who do uphold us in their prayers, helping us along as we live in a world that needs the help, love, and redemption through Christ.