Hope

Weekday Posts
Written By Dean Collins

By Dean Collins

If you are struggling to find hope as you go through some difficult situation, then Isaiah 25 is just what the doctor ordered. After the apocalyptic message of Isaiah 24, this chapter is filled with hope, healing, and victory. 

While followers of Christ have great reason for hope when Jesus returns, bringing heaven and earth together where we will live forever in the new creation, we sometimes struggle with the daily and seasonal battles we face in the current moment. Isaiah 25 reminds us that God is involved not just in the big picture; He is also alive and working in today’s struggles and battles.

 Isaiah opens this chapter with personal praise and worship. There is power in corporate worship, but we must never forget that worship is a daily practice that brings us into the presence of God in an instant. Go ahead and follow the example of Isaiah right now:

“O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.”

What wonderful things has God done in the past and in your current moment? His plans were not by accident but have been planned for you all along. Remember the words of Psalm 139?

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” (13-14)

Isaiah said that God’s plans were formed of old and are faithful and true! And his plans are focused on everyone who is in need. He is a stronghold for the poor, the needy, and those in distress. One of the great hymns quotes Isaiah 25, reminding us that our rock is a shelter from the storm.

It wasn’t long ago that we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus. Isaiah prophesied this moment centuries earlier when he said:

“He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”

Our spiritual ancestors learned what we sometimes struggle to accept. We sometimes have to wait to see and know our deliverance. Isaiah reminds us:

“It will be said on that day, ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’”

Whatever you are facing today, know that help and healing are on the way. God’s plans for victory hold true in every generation. 

Father, thank you for the words you gave to Isaiah that bring us hope even today. We wait on you with hope and in full confidence that you love us and have perfect plans for us both today and forever. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Isaiah 25:1-12 ESV

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Dean Collins

Pastor, campus minister, counselor, corporate employee, Fortune 500 consultant, college president—Dean brings a wide range of experiences and perspectives to his daily walk with God’s Word. 

In 1979 he founded Auburn Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational campus ministry that still thrives today. In 1989 he founded and became executive director for New Directions Counseling Center, a service that grew to include several locations and counselors. In 1996 he became vice president of human resources for the CheckFree Corporation (3,000 employees) till founding DC Consulting in 1999. He continues part-time service with that company, offering executive leadership coaching, organizational effectiveness advice, and help with optimizing business relationships.

His latest pursuit, president of Point University since 2006 (interim president 2006-2009), has seen the college grow in enrollment, curriculum, physical campus, and athletic offerings. He led the school’s 2012 name change and relocation from Atlanta Christian College, East Point, Georgia, to Point University in West Point, Georgia. Meanwhile, he serves as board member or active volunteer with several nonprofits addressing issues ranging from global immunization to local government and education. 

He lives in Lanett, Alabama, with his wife, Penny. He has four children (two married) and five grandchildren. He plays the guitar, likes to cook, and enjoys getting outdoors, often on a nearby golf course. 

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