Isaiah 46:8-13. God is calling Israel (and us) to remember that he alone is God - there is no other, and none like him. He has declared "the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things not yet done, saying... 'I will accomplish all my purpose.'" He has spoken, he will bring it to pass. So those of us who are stubborn of heart and far from deliverance better listen - his salvation will not tarry.

I think God is reminding us right now that he alone is God and there is no other like him. Things are happening everywhere that no person, no government, has the power or ability to control or change. Take COVID, for instance - as much as we try, we cannot get a grip on it - the only thing we can really do is take care of ourselves as best as possible and trust God to see humanity through this.

So the first part of this passage is about acknowledging who God is, which he is showing us in events happening now, and the second is about trust. God reminds us that he is in charge - he may be allowing or causing things to happen that frighten us or make us realize we are powerless against them - but that is because he is God and there is no other. He cannot explain it all to us because we cannot possibly understand it all - much like he told Job.

He knows that we feel that fear or that helplessness sometimes and we have nowhere to turn but to him - the only power there is who can save us from these things. He wants us to trust him, so he tells us "Don't worry, I have a plan. I've had my plan since the beginning of time. I spoke it (the Word) and it will come to pass." Okay then, we turn to him and he says don't worry I have a plan, but how do we know we can trust him? It's seems like everything is spinning out of control, how can this be his plan? But that feeling is our own human failing. Everything is not spinning out of his control - he alone is God and he alone saw all of this from the beginning.

If God, in the beginning, created earth, and us, and all good things; and then when we fell promised us a savior; and then came through with the promised savior who was he himself; and then suffered and died for us - how can we not trust him? We would not even be here if he didn't want us to be! He created us purely out of love and even when we went bad he came and died for us!

It is so obvious that his plan is to save us, or as many of us as will accept it. So what is the point of fear, anxiety, or worry? He's got this! Just because we don't see the way out doesn't mean there isn't one - of course there is, and he has planned it from the beginning of time, "declaring the end from the beginning."