Isaiah 50:4-9 4 The Master, God, has given me a well-taught tongue, So I know how to encourage tired people.

God will gift our speech and words. We will be trained to encourage tired people. To give the lost, downcast, and discouraged a helping hand.

He wakes me up in the morning, Wakes me up, opens my ears to listen as one ready to take orders.
God has instructions for us daily, even every morning. He wakes us and opens our ears, our spiritual ears, so we are ready to take orders. At this point, we are faced with a choice:

5 The Master, God, opened my ears, and I didn't go back to sleep, didn't pull the covers back over my head.

When God gives us orders, do we fall back asleep, pulling the covers over our head as if we're too tired to listen, too lazy to understand? Or do we respond faithfully, receiving God's provision for the day. There is no better sustenance, than feeding on the Word of God. By it, the world was created and came in to being. By his Word, God moves mountains, punishes the disobedient, and frees the captives and poor in heart.

However, if we choose to follow orders, we will be tested and tried. The wicked culture of the earth belongs to satan and his hourdes. When we awake listening to God's voice

6 I followed orders, stood there and took it while they beat me, held steady while they pulled out my beard, Didn't dodge their insults, faced them as they spit in my face. 7 And the Master, God, stays right there and helps me, so I'm not disgraced.

So the testing begins, but you have chosen to follow orders. So when your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ stumble and fall, insult you, and are unfaithful to Christ, where do you stand? When the world doesn't accept you and they ridicule you for Christ, where do you stand? The Word gives us the answer:

Therefore I set my face like flint, confident that I'll never regret this. 8 My champion is right here. Let's take our stand together! Who dares bring suit against me? Let him try! 9 Look! the Master, God, is right here. Who would dare call me guilty? Look! My accusers are a clothes bin of threadbare socks and shirts, fodder for moths!

You set your face like flint. Strong and unmoved in the face of adveristy. Those who persevere shall win. Those who hold on and keep their eyes on the prize will finish. God is our champion. We are victorious in him!