“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me.” says the LORD.
Isaiah 54:17 NKJV
Before I get into what I want to say today, I want you to understand the context of this passage. The Israelites, God’s chosen people, had rejected Him and had fallen into idolatry. Isaiah was prophesying their Babylonian captivity. But in these verses, He is explaining what awaits them in the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ when they enter the new Jerusalem.
I have come to realize, however, when we remain faithful to the Lord even in trying times, He offers a hedge of protection for His children. This doesn’t mean we won’t come through some hard times; it just means we will have his protection if we remain faithful to Him.
I have lived out this protection in hard times. We saw it in the Old Testament. Many of those in Babylonian captivity fared well because they remained faithful to the Lord.
With all that being said, I think we need to put this into perspective. It’s natural to be angry at someone who has tried to cause you harm. I realized just the other day that I had experienced difficulty in forgiving someone who had tried to hurt me and others that I love.
In reading this passage this morning, I realized I had nothing to be angry about because their efforts were futile. Did they put me through some hard times? Absolutely. Did they cause me times of fear? Absolutely. Did they succeed in destroying me? No, they did not. God protected me from their evil schemes.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 tells us the Lord is faithful and will protect us from the evil one. Matthew 10:28 tells us not to fear those who can destroy the body but cannot kill the soul but fear the one who can kill the body and the soul.
Romans 8:28 tells us all things work for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. I know that as long as I am loving the Lord and doing what He has called me to do, He will work everything out for me.
I’m telling you all this because I have come to realize I have nothing to fear from man. I must serve the Lord with a reverential awe or fear of Him. Why should I be angry with someone who comes against me knowing they will fail?
Just as God is promising the Israelites there will come a time when no weapon formed against them shall prosper and no one who speaks against them in court will be able to condemn them, He promises to protect us. He promises to work all things out for our good.
Instead of being angry at the person who comes against you, pray for them. Those who plot evil are going to incur God’s wrath. The Bible tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us in Luke 6:35. This is easier to do when we realize that as long as we choose to live under God’s protection, we will be sheltered (Psalm 91:1).
It’s so much easier to not be angry at those who come against you and to forgive them when you understand they are only bringing harm to themselves. I am a blood-bought child of God. He adopted me into His family. Being His child comes with some awesome privileges.
One of those great privileges is His protection. If someone is coming against you, don’t worry, God’s got this. Continue to love Him with all your heart and serve Him. Don’t let this distract you. Trust in Him to take good care of you.
Forgive them. If you need God’s help with that, just ask. Pray for their salvation.
If you are doing what is right and someone comes against you, know they will not succeed. Suit up in God’s armor (Ephesians 6:10-18). Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:17)!
Have a great day!