God Is Carefully Molding and Setting Us
Have you been in distress? If you have, out of the ninth chapter of Isaiah emerges a word of hope for those who have been in distress:
"Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress..." (Isaiah 9:1 NIV).
Interestingly, Strong's Concordance notes the following about the Hebrew word for "distress" (mutsaq) in this verse: "The term 'mutsaq' refers to something that has been cast or poured out, typically in the context of metalwork. It is used to describe objects made by pouring molten metal into a mold, resulting in a solid, formed object..." (Strong's H4164 definition, Usage).
I think we can all recall a time when we've felt "melted" by a season or totally poured out. It's a beautiful thought, however, to imagine those same blistering seasons as the times when God is carefully molding and setting us. God wants to remind us that it's in these times that he "molds" us and "sets" us up for something good—something so good it could only be his design.
For those in distress, God gives the command here: "no more gloom." Gloom points to a spectrum of definitions which encompasses everything from mourning to despondency. Mourning is past-focused; it's grief for something that has passed or an overwhelming longing for the past. There is certainly a time to grieve (Ecclesiastes 3:4), but this verse declares a break in the seasons.
In the same Isaiah passage from above, it says in the King James Version, "Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation..." In other words, there shall not be carried into this time the grief that was in the past season. God is drawing a line of separation where we will cease to long for the past in an unhealthy way. He is healing grief and changing it into gratitude—thankfulness for what was that also makes room for hopefulness for what is.
No More Gloom and Doom
Gloom also can refer to despondency. The American Heritage Dictionary defines despondency as "Depression of spirits from loss of hope, confidence, or courage; dejection." All of these (hope, confidence, and courage) pertain to how we face the future. Hope refers to what level we expect the Lord to do good things in our future. Confidence is unshakability in our beliefs, which helps us navigate the future. Courage is the ability to face an unknown future because of our assurance of God's goodness. Gloom is what "dims" these things. It doesn't falsify them, but it makes them hard to see.
The "no more gloom" declaration in Isaiah also breaks the shadows that have been cast over our future which keep us from seeing his brightness ahead.
Shadows are usually not representative of the actual size or location of their objects. (Something small can cast a big shadow; something far away can cast a shadow that stretches close enough to touch you.) They also have no substance. They aren't actually a "thing" but a disruption of light. If you reinstate the light to an area of shadow, the shadow goes away. A shadow never overcomes a light. God is calling us again to see past the shifting shadows of hopelessness, fear, and confusion in order to see the real hope he has for our futures. (Photo via Unsplash)
Isaiah 9 continues with verse 2: "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned" (NIV).
Walking in darkness does many things. It slows you down. Even though you may be in your own living room, in complete darkness, your steps become timid and careful so your shin doesn't have an unexpected encounter with your coffee table. Light brings a renewed speed and confidence.
Complete darkness also requires you to rely on memory. What did it look like? Where were the obstacles? Light allows you to see again in true detail what your mind remembers vaguely. At the darkest times in our lives we strain to remember what God has shown us. We can even begin questioning if we heard him. When the light comes again, it reinforces what we once saw but had almost forgotten in the "dark time."
Isaiah 9:5 is the spark that began this whole word. This powerful verse reads, "Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire" (NIV). The morning I read this, I felt the Holy Spirit whisper, "What the enemy is using to make you afraid is only going to be fuel for the fire."
Within the words "warrior's boot" you'll find the Hebrew word ra'ash, which means "commotion, earthquake, quaking, shaking, tumult" (Strong's H7494).
A closer look at this verse reveals that "warrior's boot" is actually better translated to read as "greaves" or "war-shoes." Greaves used to have all sorts of attachments made of clanging metal—hooks, clasps, and nails—all allowing them to be heard as they came. The jarring noise would cause confusion and panic. The warrior's boot would instill fear before they even arrived (see Bible Hub, Isaiah 9:5, Barnes' Notes on the Bible).
Often the enemy tries to use the same tactics with us. Chaos and noise attempt to bait us into panic, fear, and confusion about things that haven't even arrived yet, and may never transpire.
If It Happened to Them, It Can Happen to Me
The garments rolled in blood were a visual reminder of the enemy's past works, the times he killed or destroyed. Our modern-day equivalent is when we focus on the times when the enemy has stolen, killed, or destroyed in our communities or in our news feeds. The threat (then and now) is "if it happened to them, it can happen to me." When we give way to this fear, it takes our fear (awe) of the Lord off the throne. When we lose sight of who the Lord is and what that means for us, panic causes us to project all sorts of things on our future, like the shadow of despondency mentioned earlier.
Both the warrior's boots and blood-stained garments meet the same fate in Isaiah 9:5. All of these war tools of the enemy become utterly consumed by God. In a turnaround that only God could create, they become fuel for the fire. According to Barnes' Notes on the Bible, in ancient times, this kind of stripping of enemy soldiers and burning of gear happened when an army was vanquished—completely defeated. Their things were burned so that they would be useless. Gone. Fuel for the fire.
What "Fire" Is God Fueling?
What "fire" is God fueling? What does fire mean for the Lord? In Scripture we see fire being representative of God's presence leading the Israelites in the desert (Exodus 13). We see fire being God's empowerment like when he showed up to commission Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3), or when God empowered Elijah at Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18). We see God's anointing in the fire of Pentecost (Acts 2). We also see fire as a reminder of God's deliverance, as a fourth man stood in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3). (Photo via Flickr)
Where the enemy wanted to bring terror, God is using it to fuel his fire. The situations that the enemy seeks to use to bring fear and defeat become the fuel for God's presence showing up in our lives. The blows meant to crush our spirits and get us to lay down our giftings become fuel for God's calling. The heat of the temptation to take God off the throne becomes fuel for God showing his power over other idols or worldly powers. The very places where the enemy wants you to feel the chaos of abandonment become the upper rooms that fuel his Holy-Spirit anointing. The attacks of the enemy become the furnace of God's deliverance for you, and even for the salvation of others who will hear your testimony.
While the distress of this season is real, the gloom is ending. As the shadow lifts and the light shows things for what they are, we will see how all that the enemy has brought against us will only end up fueling God's fire.
Encounter Questions:
• Father, where are areas of grief that have gone past their season and kept me stuck? What hope do you want to speak to me to heal me in this place?
• Holy Spirit, in what areas of my life do I have low hope, low confidence, or low courage? What words of yours do you want to remind me of to "fill up" these areas?
• Lord, illuminate what the "warriors boots" or "bloodied garments" have been for me in this season. As I place them in your hands, show me how they can be fuel for your fire. I trade these fears for more of your fire, Lord. Amen.
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Sara Whitten
Arrows of Zion
Email:Â sara@arrowsofzion.com
Website:Â www.arrowsofzion.com
Sara Whitten is an author, speaker, and founder of Arrows of Zion Ministries which has been offering resources to equip to the Body of Believers since 2017. This ministry focuses on creating space to regularly encounter God's voice and live lives that are fertile soil for the Kingdom of God. Her writings are featured in many publications, including the Elijah List and Charisma. She also hosts "Hear God Every Day," a podcast with tools to help amplify the voice of God amidst the noise of everyday life. She and her husband currently reside in Kerrville, Texas with their three children.
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