Isaiah 33:1-16: a reflection

1Woe to you who destroy, but you weren’t destroyed, and who betray, but nobody betrayed you! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed; and when you have finished betrayal, you will be betrayed. 2LORD, be gracious to us. We have waited for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble. 3At the noise of the thunder, the peoples have fled. When you lift yourself up, the nations are scattered. 4Your plunder will be gathered as the caterpillar gathers. Men will leap on it as locusts leap. 5The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high. He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. 6There will be stability in your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is your treasure. 7Behold, their valiant ones cry outside; the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly. 8The highways are desolate. The traveling man ceases. The covenant is broken. He has despised the cities. He doesn’t respect man. 9The land mourns and languishes. Lebanon is confounded and withers away. Sharon is like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel are stripped bare. 10“Now I will arise,” says the LORD. “Now I will lift myself up. Now I will be exalted. 11You will conceive chaff. You will give birth to stubble. Your breath is a fire that will devour you. 12The peoples will be like the burning of lime, like thorns that are cut down and burned in the fire. 13Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and, you who are near, acknowledge my might.” 14The sinners in Zion are afraid. Trembling has seized the godless ones. Who among us can live with the devouring fire? Who among us can live with everlasting burning? 15He who walks righteously and speaks blamelessly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing to take a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from looking at evil— 16he will dwell on high. His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks. His bread will be supplied. His waters will be sure.

In a time of trouble, the people cry out to God with a prayer worth noticing: O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. They ask God to be their strength every morning, fresh each day; not strength stored up once for all, but strength renewed morning by morning, sought anew each day as each day's troubles come. It is a prayer of daily dependence on God for strength.

Notice the phrase: be our strength every morning. They do not ask God for strength once, to last them indefinitely; they ask him to be their strength every morning, fresh each day. This reflects a daily dependence, a recognition that each day brings its own troubles and needs, and that we need God's strength renewed for each day, sought anew each morning. Strength for today is to be sought today; tomorrow will need its own strength, sought tomorrow. God's strength is to be sought fresh, morning by morning.

That daily seeking of God's strength is a good pattern for our own dependence on him. We can try to store up strength once for all, or to face each day in our own resources; but the better way is to seek God's strength fresh each morning, depending on him daily. Each day brings its own troubles and needs; and we need God's strength renewed for each, sought anew each morning. Seek God's strength every morning, as this prayer does, depending on him daily, for the day's troubles and needs. Do not try to face your days in your own resources, or to store up strength once for all; seek God to be your strength every morning, fresh for each day. His strength is renewed for those who seek it daily; make it your practice to seek his strength each morning, depending on him for the day before you, as the people prayed, be our strength every morning.

Lord, in a time of trouble the people cried out: be gracious to us; we wait for you; be our strength every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. They asked you to be their strength every morning, fresh each day, not stored up once for all, but renewed morning by morning. Let that be a pattern for my own dependence on you. I can try to store up strength once for all, or to face each day in my own resources; but the better way is to seek your strength fresh each morning, depending on you daily. Each day brings its own troubles and needs; and I need your strength renewed for each, sought anew each morning. Help me seek your strength every morning, as this prayer does, depending on you daily, for the day's troubles and needs. Keep me from trying to face my days in my own resources, or to store up strength once for all; help me seek you to be my strength every morning, fresh for each day. Your strength is renewed for those who seek it daily; help me make it my practice to seek your strength each morning, Lord, depending on you for the day before me, as the people prayed, be our strength every morning. Be my strength this morning, and every morning.