“In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” Isaiah 26:1 – 7  (here and there)

We need to recall the situation in which the Prophet Isaiah prophesied. Both Judah and Israel, the northern and southern kingdoms were slipping into unbelief, gripped by fear because kingdoms were arising in the East that saw Israel as easy prey. The Jews remembered the days of King David and King Solomon when the land was not divided and when their kingdom was respected in all the known world. From there on the slide downward seemed inevitable.  Instead of getting stronger, the Jews got increasingly weaker.

It certainly appeared as though God had lost all interest in the Jews. It was in this state of despair that the Prophet Isaiah spoke the clear word of God. “We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts.” Only God can promise salvation. This is crucially true as Jesus came to take away our sins and secure our unity with the Father. Salvation comes from no other quarter.

The Word further reminds us to grasp this truth with all our might.  We trust in God alone. He is our eternal rock.  We need to be weaned from all empty promises that our culture holds to be important.  Many who are reading are, like me, citizens of US.  We love this land but this is not our home, we live in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ that exists here and now with its doors wide open for anyone to enter.  The worth of worldly citizenship diminishes while our citizenship in the Kingdom of God becomes increasingly dominant in our thinking.