No Other Rock
Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant…
For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring
and my blessing on your descendants.
Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.
All who make idols are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.
(Isaiah 44:2-3, 8-9; see also Isaiah 44:1-11, 21-23)
When afraid, we all lean on someone or something to get us through our fears. The question is, how reliable is that source of comfort and strength? Sometimes the very things we rely on become our idols or addictions and only lead us to deeper fears.
How does Isaiah warn us about what we rely on to shelter us from fear?
In contrast, how does Isaiah encourage us to rely on the only true God for our salvation?
Why would our Creator be more reliable in dispelling fear and renewing our strength than anything he (or we) created?
How could our addiction to things that ease our anxieties actually deepen our fears rather than remove them?
To what extent do you turn to “idols” when you are afraid rather then to the one true God?
My Creator and Redeemer, let me drink in peace from your good hand, not from any broken cistern that could never satisfy.
Taken from Be Not Afraid by David Ivaska. ©2000 by David Ivaska. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426. ivpress.com
If you would enjoy this study in pdf form, click here.
