This week in Crisis Counsels we turn our attention to one of the great prophets of the Bible, the prophet Isaiah, and two verses in the center of the book of Isaiah –

The Lord is exalted; he lives on high, filling Zion with justice and righteousness. God will provide security during a lifetime: a source of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. Reverence for the Lord will be Zion’s treasure.
Isaiah 33:5–6

The prophet Isaiah lived in turbulent times. There was warfare everywhere. There was great injustice in the society. The rulers were often weak and ungodly. Certainly in such circumstances one might have reason to despair! Yet Isaiah declares, “The Lord is exalted; he lives on high.” By this he meant not that God is remote from the world’s troubles, but that God reigns over all things. Although it might seem at times that the world is out of control, God is at work to bring about God’s purposes, and God’s goodness will surely prevail. In the midst of our own turbulent times, we are encouraged to lift our spiritual vision to see, as Isaiah says, that “the Lord is exalted” – and so we can find hope for our lives and our world.

Prayer – We praise you, O God, as the One who truly reigns over all. Share on X

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About the Author

Dr. David A. Palmer has been the senior pastor at the United Methodist Church of Kent since 1995. He has a B.A. from Wittenberg University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. A native of Wooster, Ohio, he has served three other churches in east Ohio before coming to Kent. He and his wife, Mavis, have three children.