GOD'S FLOODS

Isaiah 59:19
“So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.

In the Hebrew text, you find no commas, and the interpretation of this verse for years seem to indicate that “the flood” is due to the enemy’s actions and power.

I would like to suggest a better reading might be, “When the enemy comes in, like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against him.”

Year ago, I worked for the U. S. Geological Survey in the Water Resources division in Austin, TX. I did streamflow measuring and water quality sampling. When it was flooding in central Texas, I was on the road measuring the amount of water flowing under bridges in various locations.

Floods are an amazing phenomenon. A stream or riverbed can, over time, become clogged by silt and debris falling into the water from nearby trees and bushes. The flow of the water can become impeded and slowed down, causing more silt and debris to be caught and gather.

I see this as an analogy to spiritual life in the Lord. The banks of a river circumscribe the flow of the water and that water always has a destination as it flows, ultimately, to the sea somewhere.

Our lives have purpose and meaning that come from God alone. Our lives can become clogged, over time, with the cares of the world and the incessant assault of the world’s system to try and get our eyes off the Lord and fix them on what the seemingly never-ending problems of life.

Jesus spoke of Life in the Spirit as an eternal, bubbling up, overflowing artesian flood of water springing up in us to eternal life. The enemy of souls, the devil, does all he can over time to try and impede the flow of the Holy Spirit through us by clogging our minds and emotions, distracting us from what really matters by the cares of this world.

When the enemy of our souls comes in to prevent the living water flowing to affect the world around us with the grace and mercy of God, what does the Lord do? I would assert that, “When the enemy comes in, LIKE A FLOOD THE LORD WILL RAISE UP A STANDARD AGAINST him.”

Floods scour out silt from the riverbed, dislodge branches, trees and debris that have clogged the river or stream. The raging water dislodges the debris and moves it out of the way so the river flows freely again. After a flood, you can see the “drift-line” on either side of the banks and overflow areas of a river to see what has been taken out of the way.

I believe that the Lord God in His faithfulness will come in like a flood in our lives. His Standard for Life in Christ Jesus is raised up above the distractions and chaos of the world and its system of deceptions so that His vision for our life is restored. The intended flow of the Holy Spirit in us and through us is restored and even deepened as the world’s residue and silt are removed.

The Lord will not allow the enemy to succeed. God has heard our cries for His will to be done in us as it is in heaven. He will come like a flood of grace and power to push aside all that has impeded the flow of His Spirit in us and through us.

“Flow, River flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy! Send forth Your Word, Lord, and let there be Light!” Those are the words of a worship song many will recognize. God sends the flood of His grace and mercy into our lives so that nothing will hinder His grace moving through us by His anointing us in the Holy Spirit. God’s floods can seem terrifying, but in the deluge of His grace, He is keeping you and sustaining you and freeing you from every hinderance to His will and goodness in your life.