Lily, a Bible translator, was flying home to her country when she was detained at the airport. Her mobile phone was searched, and when the officials found an audio copy of the New Testament on it, they confiscated the phone and questioned her for two hours. At one point they asked her to play the Scripture app, which happened to be set at Matthew 7:1–2: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Hearing these words in his own language, one of the officers turned pale. Later, she was released and no further action was taken.
We don’t know what happened in that official’s heart at the airport, but we know that God’s word accomplishes what He desires (see Isaiah 55:11). Isaiah prophesied these words of hope to God’s people in exile, assuring them that even as the rain and snow make the earth bud and grow, so too does God’s word achieve His purposes (vv. 10–11).
As those who follow Christ, we can read this passage to bolster our confidence in God. We may feel that we’re facing unyielding circumstances, such as Lily with the airport officials, but we can trust that God is working through His word, even when we don’t see the final outcome.