Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid.’ (Isaiah 7:4a)
The phrase, “Keep Calm and Carry On” dates back further than World War II. The story goes that the British government developed a number of posters to be placed in public areas to improve the morale of its people. Though more than 2.5 million posters were printed, they were never circulated publicly. The phrase, however, wasn’t original to the Brits – its history is tied with Jewish history.
The Lord gave Isaiah instructions on what to say to Judah’s King Ahaz to remind him that trust was more important than intrigue. Instead of scheming about how to maintain power, Ahaz was simply to be careful with his actions, stay calm, and keep from being afraid. Why? Because God was in control of the situation. All these years later, the words of Isaiah to Ahaz still carry immense value for us.
Couldn’t we all say that some of the greatest regrets in our lives stem from times when we weren’t careful, when we didn’t keep calm, and when we acted out of fear? Whenever we respond to life in such ways, we fail to trust that God is in control. If you have come to believe that God can, in fact, be trusted, then you must be willing to place the intricacies of your life into His hands. When you do that, you will fully realize the wisdom behind the words that the Lord gave to Isaiah to speak: be careful, keep calm, and don’t be afraid.
Lord, I like to be in control, but when I fail to surrender control to You and begin acting out of fear, then things don’t turn out in a positive way. Please give me courage to believe that You are in control of all things and that I can entrust my life into Your hands.
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