Isaiah 32:2 Each one will be like a shelter from the wind, and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
I live in a region of geography that can be both very dry and very wet. At my house, I went for almost four mouths without any rain. A mile from my house had a different rainfall total. That is just the way it rains here.
The good news is that we are now in the rainy season. The plants in my garden beds are flourishing. The weeds are as well, but they seem to do well no matter the level of precipitation.
For those who live on the same latitude as the Saharan Desert, rainfall can be in short supply. During that four months of no rain, I was so thankful for the city water supply. If I had to have supplied myself with water, that would have been catastrophic.
For the first recipients of the words of Isaiah 32, the images of desert and lack of water were an ever present part of their daily lives. For the women, those who are addressed specifically in the section, they are facing the invasion of their land and the loss of everything. They wouldn’t necessarily be doing the military defending of the cities, but they were affected in multiple other ways.
In the previous chapter, or should I say message from the LORD to all His people, they are warned against seeking refuge in any place other than in the LORD. They are called to turn around and trust Him rather than trusting in their adopted handmade idols, that can’t speak or help in any way.
The land of Israel is about to be invaded, a portion of their population will be killed, others will be taken as prisoner to a foreign country to live our their lives. And the women of Jerusalem are acting as if it is business as usual. They have become complacent.
The struggle for the basics of life is about to come front and center. No luxury items that used to fill their cabinets. They will struggle for water.
They will struggle for food.
They will struggle for safety.
But there is a promise, the same one offered in the previous chapter. If they return to the LORD, placing Him as the center of their trust, He will provide what they need. When their world looks the bleakest, that is when the LORD will be crystal clear.
So when your world looks like smooth sailing, recognize that all that floats your boat and makes it smooth sailing is temporary, fleeting, expendable. It can all be be taken way. Almost everything that we trust for the basics of life can disappear in an instant.
Just ask those millions living under repressive regimes around the world. As bombs drop and power is cut off again, water pumps failing for lack of electricity and refrigeration ceases, remember. And as we hear about these fellow humans made in the likeness of Almighty God, let us not be complacent. Let us act.
I want to encourage you to read the full chapter of Isaiah 32 today. Put yourself in the shoes of these women. Imagine facing the horrors of war and the unique struggles that you will have for your life, your children’s lives, the lives of others in your community.
And then pray. Pray that the LORD will open your heart and mind to ways that you can help those who are actually facing these challenges this day. And then do something!