Excerpts from Isaiah, Chapter 26
“Open the gates to all who are righteous; allow the faithful to enter.
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!
Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant city. He brings it to dust. The poor and oppressed trample it under foot, and the needy walk all over it.
But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them. Lord, we show our trust in You by obeying Your laws; our heart’s desires to glorify Your name.
All night long, I search for You; in the morning I earnestly seek for God. For only when You come to judge the earth will people learn what its right. Your kindness to the wicked does not make them do good. All others do right, the wicked keep doing wrong and take no notice of the Lord’s majesty.
O Lord, they pay no attention to your upraised fist. Show them your eagerness to defend Your people. Then they will be ashamed. Let Your fire consume Your enemies.
Lord, You will grant us peace; all we have accomplished really is from You. O Lord our Good, others have ruled us, but you alone are the One we worship.”
(vv. 3-13, NLT)