Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. – Isaiah 12:2

Today's Scripture Reading (May 9, 2026): Isaiah 12 & 13

When I was a youth pastor, the church had a rule that only Christian music could be played on church equipment. Unfortunately, determining which groups were Christian was not always easy. If we define Christian music as recordings sold in a Christian bookstore (this was before streaming), that is not always a perfect definition. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Larry Norman was too secular for Christian Bookstores. He was also too Christian for secular stores. 

The Progressive Rock band "Kansas" has produced songs that foreshadow evangelical Christianity. And several other bands have as well, including "The Fray." Take a listen to their lullaby, "Be Still."

            Be still and know that I'm with you

            Be still and know that I am here

Be still and know that I'm with you

            Be still, be still, and know.

            When darkness comes upon you

            And covers you with fear and shame

            Be still and know that I'm with you

            And I will say Your Name.

One teen decided that the definition of Christian was simply that they were American or Canadian. I mean, deep down, aren't we all Christian?

How do we know if someone is a Christian? It is a complex question, and one that I think we have muddied over the past few generations. In the world that existed a generation ago, when most people seemed to confess to being a Christian, Christians started adding rules. You were Christian if you went to church consistently. Or maybe if you attended mid-week services. Growing up, we spent a lot of time at the church, attending Sunday School, Morning, and Evening Services on Sundays, midweek services on Wednesday, Friday night activities for children and youth, with a Choir practice thrown in somewhere for good measure. But did any of that make us Christians?

There isn't a simple answer, but there are some clues that have nothing to do with church attendance, and Isaiah highlights one of them in this passage. Who has saved you? Or maybe more simply, do you even need to be saved? Have you asked God for forgiveness for the things that you have actively done wrong during your life? It isn't as easy a question as it might seem. Admitting that I have done wrong, or that I needed saving, is hard for most people. But as Christians, we have come to terms with this aspect of our lives. People who are still on the outside looking in often deny that they need a Savior, or that they have committed any sins large enough to need to ask forgiveness.

As Christians, we understand the depth of our sin. In fact, I admit that as I grow as a Christian, I am becoming more aware of my sin, and frequently need to ask forgiveness for things, like my attitude, that I would never have thought were wrong a decade ago. The closer I get to God's plan and his love for people, the more I realize how much I lack.

Isaiah says, "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation." As Christians, we not only hear these words but also feel them and know their truth. I am forgiven, not because there wasn't anything significant to forgive, but because God has forgiven me, and he can forgive anything. I am saved not because I didn't need saving, but because God is my salvation. And he has rescued me!

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 14