Isaiah 26

Here are some striking verses I was reading this morning.

The path of the righteous is level;
you make level the way of the righteous.
In the path of your judgments,
O LORD, we wait for you;
your name and remembrance
are the desire of our soul.
My soul yearns for you in the night;
my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.

For when your judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
If favour is shown to the wicked,
he does not learn righteousness;
in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly
and does not see the majesty of the LORD.
Isaiah 26:7-10, ESV

A few quick thoughts:

The path of the righteous is level, but it is also in the path of God's judgements. And though it is level, it is also the path of waiting for God's salvation, even though the waiting might be painful.

God's judgement is needed so that people learn righteousness. It doesn't happen otherwise - we are wicked, and so need the judgements to teach us.

The purpose is so that we see the majesty of the LORD. And that majesty will be glorious.

He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
"Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the LORD; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation."
Isaiah 25:8-9, ESV