Debbie Swindell

When was the last time you opened one of the Old Testament prophets and really listened?

It’s easy to read the prophets like faded history—strange names, ancient places, harsh warnings. But the truth is, these were real people, speaking to real situations, and some feel strangely familiar to our world today: political chaos, cultural confusion, rampant idolatry, and widespread fear.

The prophets didn’t just predict the future. Yes, they sometimes foretold what was to come, but far more often, they were forth-telling: proclaiming God’s truth to their own generation with courage and urgency. They weren’t spiritual fortune tellers; they were truth-tellers in the middle of a storm, calling people back to God.

And the storms they faced? They weren’t small.

God’s people were living in times of great instability. Empires were rising and falling. Enemies threatened from all sides. God’s people were tempted to compromise, to panic, to cling to political alliances instead of God’s promises. Sound familiar?

Yet again and again, the prophets pointed them to the one unchanging reality:
God is not shaken. He is sovereign, steady, and supremely in control.

Isaiah: A Voice of Courage in Crisis

Consider Isaiah, writing in the shadow of Assyria, a violent and terrifying superpower. The people of Judah were understandably afraid. But Isaiah doesn’t stoke their fear. Instead, he lifts their eyes to a greater vision of who God is:

“Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
Have you not considered the foundations of the earth?

God is enthroned above the circle of the earth;
its inhabitants are like grasshoppers…
He reduces princes to nothing
and makes judges of the earth irrational…”
(Isaiah 40:21–24, CSB)

This is more than poetry. It’s a divine re-centering. Isaiah doesn’t pretend the threat isn’t real; he simply shows us how small it is compared to the majesty of God.

The same message holds true today.

We live in uncertain times. Wars rage, economies wobble, cultures clash. It’s tempting to scramble for control, to anchor our hope in politics, leaders, or our own strength. But the prophets invite us to a different response: Trust. Not a blind, naive optimism, but a grounded, eyes-wide-open confidence in the One who sits enthroned above it all.

Why the Prophets Still Matter

The prophets don’t just offer us ancient history. They offer us a lens through which to see our world more clearly, and a God who is far more powerful and present than we often remember.

Their message is still ringing:
Return to the Lord.
Walk in His ways.
Trust Him when everything feels unstable.

Because the truth is, God isn’t just the God of history. He’s the Lord over it. The same God who steadied His people in Isaiah’s day is the God who stands beside you now.

So next time you open the pages of a prophet, don’t skim. Lean in. Listen. Let their words shape your trust.

Even now—especially now—you can trust Him.

Have you seen God’s faithfulness during uncertain times? Share your story in the comments below. I’d love to hear how He’s met you in the midst of the storm.