Isaiah 54:2-3
New International Version (NIV)
Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back.
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.
For you will spread out to the right and to the left.
your descendants will dispossess nations.
and settle in their desolate cities.
For Meditation
Childlessness, desolation, shame, fear, disgrace, sorrow, grief, abandonment—these are not just words but experiences that can crush even the most promising of us. Each of us, including myself, has once faced the weight of one or several of these conditions. We are not alone in this, as these conditions, reminiscent of the barrenness and widowhood in ancient Eastern cultures, are not unfamiliar to us.
The Lord, in His wisdom, used the imagery of a barren woman in today’s scripture to bring comfort to the Israelites after their exile—a period when their fortunes dwindled and their territory and influence diminished. Like an abandoned or widowed wife, God assured His people of a future filled with His glory in His millennium kingdom, a future that would far surpass their current circumstances. This promise offers us hope and reassurance in our own trials.
The prophecy also looked to the immediate future when He brought them from the Babylonian captivity to a restored, glorious kingdom for His name’s sake. He became angry with them for a season, but not forever. He always has a remnant, a small group of faithful believers, to carry forth His program and show His power and majesty over all things, demonstrating His faithfulness and love even in trials.
God promised them joy (1a) and fruitfulness and encouraged them to plan for expansion (2-3). Just as God blessed Sarah and her husband, Abraham, and enlarged their “tent,” so He would do for Israel after their return.
According to Paul in Galatians 4:27, quoting Isaiah 54:1, the spiritual principle for the church is this: “Even as God blessed Sarah and the Jewish remnant with children, so He would bless the church, though she is only a small company in the world.” [Wiesbe, W. Be Comforted (p.143)]
If you, my fellow believer, have suffered or are currently going through your crushing experience, take heart. Take comfort from this scripture and lift your head with joy for God’s glory.
So, are you prepared for expansion in your life? The Lord says,
Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home and spare no expense! For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities (2-3nlt).
Are you audacious? Do you have what it takes to handle promotion or enlargement of your sphere of influence? Then don’t hold back. Go for the long haul and build a support system for your expansion program. But remember, the anchor that will hold down your support system and keep it firmly down and stable is Christ Jesus, the Rock of Ages. Strengthen your relationship with Him, the One without whom everything you build will crumble in the storms of life. With Him, you have the power to overcome any challenge, and He will ground your expansion in His strength for stability. It is your faith, my friend, that will shape your spiritual growth and reliance on God.
Shalom
Through the Eyes of the Spirit 