Set Your Face Like a Flint (Isaiah 50:7)
By: Anne Peterson
Today's Bible Verse: Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. - Isaiah 50:7
Growing up in my dysfunctional home, I remember being shamed. And when you’re a child, you tend to absorb and internalize that shame. Instead of being able to process your emotions, you start seeing yourself as less than because of how you feel.
When I became a Christ Follower, I began to unlearn that shame. I learned God not only took away my sins on the cross, but God began a work in me which he will continue (Philippians 1:6). God isn’t finished with me yet.
One Christmas my Bible teacher, Lois Peterson, chose a Bible verse she picked especially for us. Mine was Isaiah 50:7, which talks about setting my face like a flint. It says I will not be disgraced because the Lord helps me. Setting my face like a flint means to follow in Christ’s footsteps, separate from worldly influences. It also means to be disciplined, being loyal to God and His truth above all else. We’re not oblivious to all that is going on around us, but we make a choice.
This is not possible without God’s strength and the power of the Holy Spirit. God empowers us for the things he wants us to do. To be a responsible person means I will respond to God’s ability.
Jesus faced the ultimate test when he went to the cross. When Jesus went to the Garden to pray, he took a few of his disciples with him. And then he went on further so he could be alone with God.
When Isaiah prophesied about Jesus on the cross, Isaiah said the Lord had opened his ears, Jesus had not been rebellious. Isaiah said Jesus did not turn away from what was coming. God’s plan was the reason that Jesus bore the shame. They beat Jesus, pulled out his beard, mocked him and spat on him. But God is the one who helped Jesus so that he was not disgraced. And Jesus set his face like a flint.
There have been times in my life when I set my face like a flint. In those moments, the only thing I knew for sure was that I had to follow God’s leading. I knew God would be there for me, just like he was all the other difficult times.
Satan is the only one who wants us to be shamed. He wants us to be disgraced, which means to fall from favor. When you think about it, Satan was the one who fell from God’s favor and he wants to pull us down with him. But those of us who know God personally can be assured we will never fall from his favor.
If Jesus is your Savior, no matter what you are facing in your life, you can set your face like a flint, being confident that God will help you and you will not be disgraced. And with God to help you, you don’t need anything else.
Anne Peterson is a poet, speaker, published author of 16 books, including her latest book, Always There: Finding God's Comfort Through Loss. Anne’s first memoir is: Broken:A story of Abuse, Survival and Hope. She has published children’s books and poetry books, such as Droplets: Poetry for Those in Grief, and He Whispers: Poetic talks with God. Anne is also a regular contributor to Crosswalk.com. Anne’s poetry has been sold in gift stores since 1996. To receive a free eBook, Sign up for Anne’s newsletter at www.annepeterson.com and click the tab. Or connect with her on Facebook.
We want to experience God through the Bible… we really do!
But our good intentions fall flat when reading the Bible just doesn’t seem to help us experience God in a real way. What should feel alive often feels confusing and boring and irrelevant. But it doesn’t have to.
In the How to Study the Bible podcast, pastor and Bible teacher Nicole Unice brings life back to reading the Bible by walking listeners through her Alive Method of Bible study, helping us personally encounter God through his Word by giving us a practical, clear road map for understanding, interpreting and applying Scripture to our lives. Just click below to start listening now!
