When the Walls Start Closing In

My cellphone was set to full volume—there was no way I could miss this call. A small tech company had expressed interest in hiring a freelance writer to create promotional material for a new app, and they were considering me. What an impressive addition to my writing portfolio! Actually, it would be the only addition so far. I was just starting out. I could pay my electric bill and get a long overdue haircut. My mind was churning out ideas and making plans and…then they called. They had changed their minds and gone with someone else. No reason, no explanation, just a big *no.* The disappointment washed over me like a mini tsunami. I didn’t know what to do, so I called out to the Lord. He reminded me of Isaiah 49:16: “Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.” My walls were closing in on me. Fear gripped me. I didn’t know how I was going to pay my rent or bills. I didn’t even know whether another opportunity was around the corner…or miles down the road. What I did know was in God’s Word: His promises in Christ. The Lord knows exactly what is going on with me. Every detail. Every moment. He has helped me through tough times and disappointments before and will again because He loves me. He is in control and will work out the details. Nothing can stop His good purposes; His kingdom will never be shaken, and His people will never be outside of His loving presence and care (Romans 8:28, 37-39). So, when the walls start closing in, we can go to the Word—God’s love letter to us, His people. • Rosemarie Pagano • In Isaiah 49, God comforts His people who are in exile. He promises to be with them in their hurt and to one day restore them from their sin and brokenness. Read Matthew 28:20 and Acts 3:19-21. As Christians, how do Jesus’ promises to be with us and to restore us from sin and death affect the way we view the tough circumstances we face? • How can you remember these promises when you are overwhelmed by a mini tsunami of disappointment, fear, or sadness? Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:16 (CSB)

Read Verses:

Isaiah 49:13-21; Matthew 10:29-31