(8) It Has to Be a God Thing!

(Note: This post is part of a series on defeating discouragement with faith and a study of Isaiah 41)


"When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them. I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus. I will give them fountains of water in the valleys. I will fill the desert with pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground. I will plant trees in the barren desert - cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, sypress, fir, and pine. I am doing this so all who see this miracle will understand what it means – that it is the LORD who has done this, the Holy One of Israel who created it. (Isaiah 41:17-20)

The poor and needy are on the edge of death. Lips are cracked. Tongues cling to the roof of their mouths. All hope seems lost. It appears as though all Israel is on the brink of being wiped out. And God steps in. Dramatically, definitively, miraculously, gloriously.

Rivers will burst forth from the high plateaus. Fountains of water will spring up from the valleys. The dead, barren dessert will become a place where pools of water bring life and refreshment. Seven types of trees recognized for their might and practical provision will abound. And life will flourish.

While this picture refers to the future restoration and blessing of Israel in the millennium, it’s also the story of Israel’s history. From the time God established Israel, their history has been one of apocalyptic decline and epic rescue and resurrection. In each of these cycles, God was disciplining Israel, purifying and maturing it to be a people for His glory. And when we get to the core of the matter, when we get to the true story line of the drama, we again see God passion for His glory being displayed and worshiped. God states this quite clearly at the end of this passage.

I am doing this so all who see this miracle will understand what it means- that it is the LORD who has done this, the Holy One of Israel who created it. (v. 20)

God is about showing His glory. Here in this passage, God's deliverance is beyond human expectation, bringing satisfaction and abundance to the most hopeless conditions. God did it for Israel in the past. He will do it again.

All through the Old Testament and the history of Israel, we see this pattern and a valuable lesson. First, we need to take note of why the discipline was necessary in the first place.

God brings us to the end of ourselves, so that it will be clear that the victory is not ours, but His. God brings us through the most hopeless conditions so that we will stop trusting in ourselves and our solutions to our problems, and learn to trust in Him alone. As long as we continue to try to figure it out and solve our problems on our own, we will be left to man sized solutions and deliverance. But when we abandon these futile efforts and put our trust in God, then, we will see God sized victory for His glory.