How has the coronavirus changed the world? Perhaps the most profound way is how it has heightened fear. How then do you deal with fear? God’s people in Isaiah’s time were in fear of the Babylonians. In the book of Isaiah we see how they were to respond. Firstly, God speaks of his favour, next his justice and then his power.

God tells His people to look to Abraham, their father, from whom they are descended. God’s justice is seen in that their sin has been either dealt with in Christ, Abraham’s Saviour, or will be dealt with in them. He also reminds them that, whilst the Babylonians may have been a formidable enemy, they are as nothing in relation to God’s power.

How do you see your troubles? Do you see them as occasions of spiritual learning or as occasions to step away … to avoid others? Isaiah says no. Let your troubles lead you to salvation. Let them be an instrument to wake you up. Consider them as occasions to see with even greater clarity that God is in the midst of it all. We find in this passage that God is saying to His people they will be redeemed without money. This was accomplished in Jesus at the cross.