If you look up #myplansvs2020 on Instagram, one of the top posts is a balloon on one side (my plans) and a needle on the other (2020).
This year has taught us two important lessons: 1) We don’t know what the future will hold. 2) We definitely can’t control it. A tiny little virus, a teeny fraction of the size of a human hair, brought the entire world to a standstill.
No one saw this coming, right?
Isaiah 41 was written almost three thousand years ago, but it has a lot to say to us in 2020. It says we might not know what the future holds, but God does. Not only did he know what 2020 would bring, but he’s the one who brought it to existence. Even though we can’t control the future, God rules over history, and all of this is part of his plan.
What a tremendous comfort that brings us! In the midst of a pandemic, a faltering economy, and societal changes, we can have a deep inner peace because we’re confident that our good and powerful God rules history.
Here are three ways God rules history and the encouragements we can hold onto.
1. God Conquers Our Enemies
Pew Research recently conducted a study to understand how Americans are viewing national conditions and the upcoming presidential election. They found that 66% of the country is “fearful” about the state of the nation.
It’s good to be concerned about the sinfulness of our nation and to desire for us to become a better nation. But if we trust that God is in control, we need not be afraid of the state of our country.
Many of us are also concerned about our health or the health of our friends or family. It’s good to be cautious, and it’s important to be wise about our health. My wife worked on a COVID-19 floor at a hospital in New York City in the height of the pandemic here, and we live in Midtown Manhattan. I know how important it is to be careful. But at some point, our caution can cross over into fear.
The next time that happens, hold fast to this promise: “Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish” (Isaiah 41:11).
God has conquered every enemy in Christ, even sin and death itself (1 Corinthians 15:26). And because of that, we need not fear. “For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you’” (Isaiah 41:11–13).
Like a father holding his young daughter’s hand as they walk through danger, so our God walks with us. 1 We can be at peace, even in the most tumultuous situations — even in the face of death — because we know that our good and powerful God is with us.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
I think of my friend who lives in San Antonio, Texas. He was a pastoral intern at a church there, but he also had a background in nursing. And right as things were getting worse in Texas, he decided to step up and work as a nurse on a COVID-19 floor.
That’s someone who believes that God is in control! What would your life look like if you had complete trust in God’s rule?
2. God Removes Our Obstacles
In ancient times, people would make a path for visiting dignitaries or conquering kings. 2 Isaiah says that God would use Israel for a similar purpose. Like a farmer clears a field at harvest, so Israel would clear a path for their coming King.
“Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff; you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the Lord; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory” (Isaiah 41:15–16).
But what are the obstacles that needed to be cleared? We find the answer in the New Testament. The gospel of Matthew says that John the Baptist fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy. He prepares the way of the Lord by preaching repentance (Matthew 3).
God promises to remove every obstacle to his coming by working repentance in our hearts. Maybe this time of quarantine has exposed a sin pattern in your life. Ask God to change you. Trust in his promise, and invite him to work in you.
3. God Provides For Our Every Need
Lastly, we see in Isaiah 41 a picture of abundant and even supernatural provision.
“When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together” (Isaiah 41:17–19).
God cares about the poor and needy. When they thirst, God floods the wilderness with water. He transforms the barren land into a lush garden with every kind of tree.
And this applies to all our needs, not just financial or physical, but also emotional and spiritual. We’re all poor and needy in one way or another.
One of the things I’ve been praying for a lot these past few months is those in my church who are lonely. Especially if you’re an extrovert or you feel loved by a hug or an arm on a shoulder, this is a very difficult time.
When you feel lonely, or when you lose your job, or when a friend or family member dies, cry out to God. And take comfort in this promise: “I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them” (Isaiah 41:17).
Jesus Christ, The Climax Of History
God rules history, and he has brought it to its climax in Christ.
Through our rebellion against God, mankind has made him our enemy, but while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:10). He makes us his friends and conquerors all our enemies, even sin and death itself.
Our hard hearts resist God, but he has given us a new heart and worked in us repentance. He overcomes our every obstacle.
And although we deserve God’s wrath and curse for our sin, in Christ we have received every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). God abundantly provides for our every need.
No matter what the rest of 2020 brings, we can face it with quiet confidence and a deep inner peace because we know that our good and powerful God rules history.