Smooth Path in a Rough World

Isaiah 26

1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; He sets up walls and ramparts for security.
2 “Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, The one that remains faithful.
3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.
4 “Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.
5 “For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.
6 “The foot will trample it, The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the helpless.”

To walk the smooth path, keep steadfast trust in your future hope. (vv. 1-6)

1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; He sets up walls and ramparts for security.
2 “Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, The one that remains faithful.
3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.
4 “Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.
5 “For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.
6 “The foot will trample it, The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the helpless.”

To walk the smooth path, keep steadfast trust in your future hope. (vv. 1-6)

1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; He sets up walls and ramparts for security.
2 “Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, The one that remains faithful.
3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.
4 “Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.
5 “For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.
6 “The foot will trample it, The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the helpless.”

To walk the smooth path, keep steadfast trust in your future hope. (vv. 1-6)

1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; He sets up walls and ramparts for security.
2 “Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, The one that remains faithful.
3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.
4 “Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.
5 “For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.
6 “The foot will trample it, The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the helpless.”

To walk the smooth path, keep steadfast trust in your future hope. (vv. 1-6)

1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; He sets up walls and ramparts for security.
2 “Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, The one that remains faithful.
3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.
4 “Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.
5 “For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.
6 “The foot will trample it, The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the helpless.”

To walk the smooth path, keep steadfast trust in your future hope. (vv. 1-6)

7 The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.
8 Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O LORD, We have waited for You eagerly; Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls. 9 At night my soul longs for You, 

To walk the smooth path, obey, wait, and desire God. (vv. 7-9a)

7 The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.
8 Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O LORD, We have waited for You eagerly; Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls. 9 At night my soul longs for You, 

To walk the smooth path, obey, wait, and desire God. (vv. 7-9a)

7 The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.
8 Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O LORD, We have waited for You eagerly; Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls. 9 At night my soul longs for You, 

To walk the smooth path, obey, wait, and desire God. (vv. 7-9a)

7 The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.
8 Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O LORD, We have waited for You eagerly; Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls. 9 At night my soul longs for You, 

To walk the smooth path, obey, wait, and desire God. (vv. 7-9a)

9b Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently; For when the earth experiences Your judgments The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. 10 Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD.

To walk the smooth path, see opportunity in difficulty. (vv. 9b-10)

11 O LORD, Your hand is lifted up yet they do not see it. They see Your zeal for the people and are put to shame; Indeed, fire will devour Your enemies.

To walk the smooth path, pray for those who do not yet see the Lord. (v. 11)

12 LORD, You will establish peace for us, Since You have also performed for us all our works.
13 O LORD our God, other masters besides You have ruled us; But through You alone we confess Your name.
14 The dead will not live, the departed spirits will not rise; Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And You have wiped out all remembrance of them.
15 You have increased the nation, O LORD, You have increased the nation, You are glorified; You have extended all the borders of the land.

To walk the smooth path, seek peace from God alone. (vv. 12-15)

Philippians 2:13 – “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

12 LORD, You will establish peace for us, Since You have also performed for us all our works.
13 O LORD our God, other masters besides You have ruled us; But through You alone we confess Your name.
14 The dead will not live, the departed spirits will not rise; Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And You have wiped out all remembrance of them.
15 You have increased the nation, O LORD, You have increased the nation, You are glorified; You have extended all the borders of the land.

To walk the smooth path, seek peace from God alone. (vv. 12-15)

12 LORD, You will establish peace for us, Since You have also performed for us all our works.
13 O LORD our God, other masters besides You have ruled us; But through You alone we confess Your name.
14 The dead will not live, the departed spirits will not rise; Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And You have wiped out all remembrance of them.
15 You have increased the nation, O LORD, You have increased the nation, You are glorified; You have extended all the borders of the land.

To walk the smooth path, seek peace from God alone. (vv. 12-15)

12 LORD, You will establish peace for us, Since You have also performed for us all our works.
13 O LORD our God, other masters besides You have ruled us; But through You alone we confess Your name.
14 The dead will not live, the departed spirits will not rise; Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And You have wiped out all remembrance of them.
15 You have increased the nation, O LORD, You have increased the nation, You are glorified; You have extended all the borders of the land.

To walk the smooth path, seek peace from God alone. (vv. 12-15)

16 O LORD, they sought You in distress; They could only whisper a prayer, Your chastening was upon them.
17 As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth, She writhes and cries out in her labor pains, Thus were we before You, O LORD.
18 We were pregnant, we writhed in labor, We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind. We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth, Nor were inhabitants of the world born.
19 Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.

To walk the smooth path, embrace weakness and cling to the Lord. (vv. 16-19)

16 O LORD, they sought You in distress; They could only whisper a prayer, Your chastening was upon them.
17 As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth, She writhes and cries out in her labor pains, Thus were we before You, O LORD.
18 We were pregnant, we writhed in labor, We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind. We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth, Nor were inhabitants of the world born.
19 Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.

To walk the smooth path, embrace weakness and cling to the Lord. (vv. 16-19)

16 O LORD, they sought You in distress; They could only whisper a prayer, Your chastening was upon them.
17 As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth, She writhes and cries out in her labor pains, Thus were we before You, O LORD.
18 We were pregnant, we writhed in labor, We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind. We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth, Nor were inhabitants of the world born.
19 Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.

To walk the smooth path, embrace weakness and cling to the Lord. (vv. 16-19)

20 Come, my people, enter into your rooms And close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while Until indignation runs its course. 21 For behold, the LORD is about to come out from His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; And the earth will reveal her bloodshed And will no longer cover her slain.

To walk the smooth path, sometimes you need to hide. (vv. 20-21)

"For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Col 3:3).

20 Come, my people, enter into your rooms And close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while Until indignation runs its course. 21 For behold, the LORD is about to come out from His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; And the earth will reveal her bloodshed And will no longer cover her slain.

To walk the smooth path, sometimes you need to hide. (vv. 20-21)

1. Keep your trust steadfast in that future hope.

2. Obey, wait, and train your heart to desire God above other things.

3. See opportunities to glorify Jesus in the difficult things in life.

4.  Pray for those who do not yet understand and see and believe in Him.

5.  Seek peace only from God, not from your circumstances.

6. Embrace your weakness and cling to God. Depend upon His strength.

7. Don’t be afraid to hide sometimes. 

To walk the smooth path in a rough world: