If we look around we might notice some people who are distressed, anxious, troubled, unhappy, even sorrowful for some reason or another. Perhaps you would be one of these folks. I know some people are distressed because of health concerns. Some are anxious because of the difficulties from the excess moisture and flooding, high gas prices, the ongoing war and other challenges. How can we help each other deal with such concerns?

With some of these thoughts as a background I want us to look at some words from the Prophet Isaiah. Because this is prophetic it would have been appropriate for Pentecost which was last Sunday, but we were observing Memorial Day. As a prophet of God, Isaiah declared woe, affliction, sorrow, trouble and great distress to Ariel, the city where David once camped. As I share these words, please note that God has NOT called me to declare this woe to Adel, Desoto, Minburn, Redfield, Waukee, or anywhere else in Dallas County or the state of Iowa. But these words from the pen of the prophet may be helpful to us today. The steps to alleviate distress that I see in this passage may help us in situations that are beyond our control and situations that have not been brought about because of our sin. We may recall the Scripture that tells us that God causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

Ariel is the city of Jerusalem, part of which was called Zion. We might ask, "What is the significance of the name, Ariel?" It signifies the lion of God, the strong lion. As the lion was considered the king of the beast, so was Jerusalem considered the king of the cities as the prophet wrote these words. When Jerusalem was a city of righteous, godly persons, she was as bold as a lion. Some of you may be familiar with C. S. Lewis drawing upon the image of the strength of a Lion when the "Cronicles of Narnia" was made into a great movie.

"Ariel" also signifies "altar hearth" which could point out Jerusalem's high calling as the place where God's people made their burnt offerings. In verse 1b we read: "Add year to year, observe your feasts on schedule." Three times a year the Jews celebrated feasts with burnt sacrifices: feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Apparently they were going through the motions of religious practices, however, without repentant hearts.

Distress is foretold to Ariel - distress due to sin, rebellion, and unfaithfulness. "And she shall be a city of lamenting and mourning; and she shall be like an Ariel to me." Could it be that this siege of Ariel hints at the thunder, earthquake, flame, and fire which is to come to this city? The distress and judgment is brought to humble the people to repent, to reform, to return to God. However, the prophet tells them that while the Israelites are mocking and ignoring God, THEY WILL EXPERIENCE GRIEF.

The siege and war against Jerusalem is probably referring primarily to that of the Assyrians in 710 BC. For more information on this you may look in II Kings 19 and Isaiah 37. The Assyrians dreamed of conquering Jerusalem, but awakened in great disappointment and failure. God stood for the righteousness for which His people are to stand. Of this incident Matthew Henry wrote, "The enemy shall be surprised with the destruction and you with the salvation. . . Whereas they hoped to make a prey of Jerusalem and to enrich themselves with plunder, their hopes shall prove vain dreams. They themselves, and all their pomp and power and prosperity shall vanish like a dream."

Today nations continue their attempts to make prey of the nation of Israel. Some nations hope to make prey of our nation. The forces of evil seek to discredit those who claim to follow Jesus.

Are we willing to admit that we may be somewhat responsible for bringing some of our distress upon ourselves? Some of our distress comes with us having no control or responsibility. Certainly, if we are responsible for at least a portion of our own troubles we should be able to do something about them. Even when we experience difficult weather and other circumstance beyond our control, we might ask, "IS there anything we can do to alleviate, relieve, lighten our troubles and difficulties?

We can alleviate distress by:

I. Imbibing in God.

The allusion of drinking in all we can of God is clearly intended here. We may realize that the use of alcohol and other drugs is how many people is how many people attempt to alleviate distress. Imbibing in booze, pot, crack, coke, meth, etc, is NOT God's way to alleviate distress. However, I know that many, perhaps even some here, have tried this approach. Such an approach makes matters worse, not better.

In chapter 28 Isaiah had specifically pronounced woes to those who imbibed in too much alcohol. In chapter 29:9-10 Isaiah speaks about their condition. Commenting on these verses Matthew Henry wrote:

"They were drunk with the love of pleasures, with prejudices against religion, and with the principles they had imbibed. Like drunken men they are not sensible of the divine rebukes they are under."

The good news is that to alleviate distress we can choose instead to imbibe in God, drink in Him, His word, and His Spirit. Read Ephesians 5:18-20.

An ancient prayer called St. Patrick's Breastplate expresses this imbibing.

"Christ be with me, Christ in the front, Christ in the rear. Christ within me, Christ below me, Christ above me, Christ at my right hand, Christ at my left, Christ in the fort, Christ in the chariot seat, Christ at the helm, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ be in the mouth of every man who speaks to me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me."

I will admit to you that when we truly imbibe in God our difficulties don't all disappear, but then we are concentrating on our Lord, the One who is our strength and support through our troubles.

II. Imitating God's Sincerity.

The prophet Isaiah addressed the problem of the hypocrisy of "religious people." Read verses 13 & 14.

Jesus Himself quoted these words speaking to the Scribes and Pharisees recorded in Mark 7 as religion without reality.

If we would consider the hypocrisy of these religious leaders to whom Jesus spoke, maybe you and I should examine our own devotion to God. Do we love God with our heart, not just our lips? Do we truly desire to worship our Lord faithfully, not merely out of habit and tradition? Such a ritual without sincerity is powerless to alleviate distress. Certainly, traditions, habits, memorizing God's law are not wrong. These practices may be helpful when we do so imitating the sincerity of God. His sincerity is worth imitating. His word is truth. His promises to us are dependable.

III. Integrating God in all we do.

Religious leaders, politicians, and ordinary citizens would do well to consider the distress spoken of in verse 15. "Woe to those who deeply hide their plans form the Lord, and whose deeds are done in a dark place, and they say, 'Who sees us? Or Who knows us?'"

Apparently many Christian folks in do not like to admit that they add distress to their lives by failing to integrate God in ALL they do. Sometimes we do not consider possible consequences when we do things God does not approve. Of course, God knows how we live even if we may hide our behavior from others. Might it change our lifestyle if we thought others would find out the truth?

At the top of his editorial page the editor of the Dahlonega Georgia Nugget prints this advice: "If you don't want it published in the Nugget, don't let it happen." That is excellent advice.

We can alleviate distress by

I. Imbibing in God.

II. Imitating God's Sincerity.

III. Integrating God in all we do.

Many years ago Abe Lincoln said: "I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reigns of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend, and that friend shall be down inside of me."

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