Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim;” so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind. — Isaiah 7:2

It’s one thing to look at pictures and video, but it’s something quite different to see it in person.

The power of tornadoes and hurricanes is equal parts awesome and terrifying.

On a single street, one house leveled, another completely unscathed.

Massive trees twisted like pretzels, stripped of their branches, leaves and even bark, drooping defeated in the face of the wind’s power.

When the trees begin to be shaken, it’s time to take cover.

Isaiah uses the powerful picture of trees being shaken to describe the depth of the fear that had gripped King Ahaz as his enemies amassed against him to destroy his nation.

God sent Isaiah to let him know that this combined enemy army will not touch him.

His violent shaking with fear was unnecessary. Why? Simply, God said it would not happen.

Are we gripped in fear today?

The storms of this life have a way of drawing us into fear and worry.

Jesus never said we wouldn’t have storms. He said we would have a solid foundation to stand on in the midst of them.

Anger, denial, distractions, resources and the like will never resolve our fears.

Only faith can.

As the Lord told King Ahaz, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”

Stubbornness

Oh, what a day of crushing defeat! … Judah’s defenses have been stripped away. You run to the armory for your weapons. You inspect the walls of Jerusalem. You store up water in the lower pool. … But you never ask for help from the One who did all this. You never considered the One who planned this long ago. — Isaiah 22:5-11

Too many times I’ve sat across the table from my sweetheart in silence.

We’ve walked passed one another speaking only perfunctory comments. We’ve laid in bed in the darkness wide awake with a thick tension between us.

Who will be the first to apologize? Who will be willing to at least own their part of the ugly?

Stubbornness is a relational jackhammer that attacks the sacred bonds of marriage and all other relationships for that matter.

Over and over again in the Bible, as in our scripture for today, God confronts stubbornness.

Specifically, his people’s stubbornness as it related to his instruction and will for them.

They tried anything and everything to solve their own problems except cry out to him for mercy.

Even in the face of his prophets telling them to stop and turn to him, they resisted and persisted in their stubbornness.

Today, too many people are stuck in their stubbornness. They are so convinced of their understanding of the situation that they are simply unwilling to even have a conversation with others.

Regardless of where it is found, stubbornness steals. It takes the life out of all that is to be life-giving, particularly a relationship with Jesus.

Is there some stubbornness in your heart that needs to be rooted out?

Wiles is senior minister of Fall Creek Christian Church in Pendleton. He can be reached at 765-778-3166.