“Now I will rise,” says the Lord; “Now I will be exalted, Now I will lift Myself up” (Isa. 33:10 NKJ).
This is a positive verse in the midst of a negative setting.
Because of treachery and moral decay, the spiritual condition of the nation of Israel at this time was at a low ebb. In the midst of hypocrisy and double standards, the prophet requests the Lord to intervene.
In verse two, he asks the Lord to be gracious. In verse three, he describes what will happen to the nations when the Lord lifts Himself up. In verse five, he expresses hope by declaring that the Lord is exalted, listing all the benefits that go with His exalted state.
In response to Isaiah’s confession of faith, the Lord answers: “I am everything you say I am and more. Now I will rise. Now I will be exalted. Now I will lift Myself up.”
The key to victory is to magnify the Lord as Isaiah did. We cannot make the Lord any larger than He already is by our words. He already fills all of heaven and earth (Jer. 23:24). How can He be made any greater than omnipresent? We can’t “increase” God by our words, but we can “decrease” Him.
When we magnify our situation and our problems, we minimize the Lord and His ability to help us. When we magnify the Lord with our praise, we actually minimize our circumstances.
The key to our personal triumph is to recognize and declare that the Lord is bigger than any problem we are facing. We do this by praising Him, worshipping Him, and quoting His promises.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers