In today’s reading the headings seemed to tell the story. NOTHING TO FEAR, NEEDS TO BE PROVIDED, IDOLS CANNOT PROVIDE, FALSE PROPHETS FAIL, MESSIAH BRINGS JUSTICE, and NEW KINGDOM FOR BELIEVERS. This is a great summary of Life in the Kingdom of God. In the life of a true believer in Jesus Christ, there is nothing to fear. Only He provides all we need, not any thing of this world (idols) or any prophets (false or true). Only Messiah, Jesus Christ, brings justice and through belief in Him we have the promise of the New Kingdom! Anything and everything falls short of that great promise!

All creation speaks of the majesty of God's handiwork.  God promises us so much. His promises stand firm. We are the ones who deprive ourselves of His great promises. 

Jesus quoted Isaiah, making it perfectly clear to whom Isaiah was referring.

Matthew 12:18-21
"Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope."

Can we relate a “bruised reed” and a “smoldering wick” to life today? Truth tellers may be bruised but not broken. Their flame may be quenched but not extinguished.

Isaiah 42:9
See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you."

God tells us ahead of time what is going to happen. Our future is laid out in His Word; the wrath to come, the Millennial Kingdom, Eternity...

A verse very close to our hearts:
Isaiah 42:16
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

On a day shortly after Phil lost his eyesight, this verse “found” us. It is a verse that we revisit often, especially when we travel down “unfamiliar paths”. Before Phil’s blindness, few paths were more unfamiliar than public speaking and writing books. We praise God that He has turned the darkness into light and the rough places smooth. If Phil could see, there are many spiritual paths we would not have taken. 

Isaiah 43 speaks of the redemption of Israel and the gathering of the scattered tribes into the Millennium.  For Believers today, spiritually speaking, no matter how far away we may stray or are scattered either through our own fault or our circumstances, He will lead us back if we are willing.

One of my (Patti) favorite verses in Scripture is the following:  (Yes, Jim, I know I say that about a lot of verses!)

Isaiah 43:1
But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

Just as He calls all the starry host (Isa 40:26) by name, He calls us by name. We belong to Him! AMEN!