Daily Worship

Making known his deeds among the nations

Dr Iain Jamieson November 17, 2025 1 0
guitar_stage_gig_punk_unsplash
Image credit: Unsplash
Listen to this daily worship

Isaiah 12 (NIVUK)

1 In that day you will say:

‘I will praise you, Lord.
    Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
    and you have comforted me.
2 Surely God is my salvation;
    I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defence;
    he has become my salvation.’
3 With joy you will draw water
    from the wells of salvation.

4 In that day you will say:

‘Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done,
    and proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;
    let this be known to all the world.
6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
    for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.’

I will trust and not be afraid.

Someone once said “there is nothing to fear but fear itself” and the Clash said in in their song London Calling: “A nuclear era but I have no fear”.

It’s unbelievable to me that that song written by Joe Strummer in 1979 has real and granular relevance to 2025, 46 years later… But what is wonderful is that he ends that song with the line “London calling at the top of the dial, and after all this, won’t you give me a smile”, See, what Joe is singing about is that while things look like a mess (and to be honest in places are and were a mess in the world) there is hope. That is what a smile is, it’s hope, it’s love and it’s comfort.

How interesting isn’t it that this lyric and the heart of that song were first penned by Isaiah which, put simply, come down to: “There are times I can’t understand your plan Lord, but you are my salvation, you are my strength and my defence.”

I think that’s one of the most counterculture things we can say today. The media blitzes us about terrible and existential frightening things. We need to shout the counter factual – we need to sing – we should spray paint it on walls (though please not where you’re not meant to and end up getting caught by the Polis – it never ends well – and whatever you do don’t tell them I wrote that…) Sing to the Lord for he is doing glorious things – he is my strength and my defence!

Know that the creator is our salvation and be free of the fear.

 

Prayer:

 

Lord when I feel afraid – set me free

Let me feel the strength flowing back through my limbs

Let my vision be clear

Remind me there is so much goodness in the world, even when it seems the worst of times

So let me be alive to that

Give me the strength to hold this in my heart and to sing and shout and to others, to the whole world

“Stop telling me the worst of things when I know that we are coming to the best of things and Sing to the Lord for he has done glorious things

And give me a smile.”