Applying the Old Testament to Your Life
Life Help from the Book of Isaiah
Life can be hard and confusing, but Isaiah doesn’t have to be.
Photograph by Megan Barnum
Isaiah is my happy place in the scriptures. I know that might sound a bit odd; mostly people talk about how hard it is to understand this particular book of scriptures. I’ll admit that there’s a lot I don’t understand in Isaiah, but there’s also so much comfort and insight in the verses. And with all the challenges young adulthood brings, we can use all the peace and direction we can get!
When I’m feeling sad or need to be reminded that God loves me, I turn to the book of Isaiah. Which is what I did years ago after finding out that one more guy I’d been interested in dating wasn’t interested in me anymore. I sat in my room, cried a bit, and opened up to chapter 43. I looked down at verse four and read: “Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee.” And, OK, that made me laugh, the idea that God would “give men” to me. And laughing made things already a bit better.
Then I kept reading: “therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.” (Isaiah 43:4) I love that phrase “people for thy life” so much. God has always been great at putting people in my life exactly when and where I need them: a new friend at church, a long talk with a co-worker, a compliment from a stranger. And He does this because I’m “precious in [His] sight” and He loves me. I knew as I read this that I may not have found someone to date and marry yet, but God certainly hadn’t forgotten me.
Of course, I know this isn’t what that scripture meant. I’m no Old Testament scholar, but there’s a specific historical context to this verse, and it’s not about dating. However, when Nephi spoke about “liken[ing] all scriptures unto us,” he was talking about Isaiah (1 Nephi 19:23). So that’s what I do with Isaiah and why this book means so much to me. There are plenty of chapters that confuse me sometimes, but scriptures that include God telling me not to fear and promising to be with me and hold my hand—those I definitely understand and turn to again and again. (See Isaiah 41:10, 13; keep reading through verse 20 for a reminder of the miraculous things God can do in our lives for our good.)
Find your own go-to verses—feel free to use mine—and turn to them over and over again. Then start reading the chapters around those verses to find more that resonate with you. You can always pray for help or direction, and then open up and read until you find a verse that stands out. This is what works for me, but as you read, you’ll find your own study patterns and favorite verses.
Another time when I felt really hopeless, I went to my room and said a prayer that Heavenly Father would let me know that everything was OK—that I was OK. I was worried about mistakes I’d made in the past and wondered if life would ever get easier. Then I opened up to Isaiah; that’s just what I do when I’m feeling down. And here’s what I read, first thing: “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18–19). And I was so grateful, I just cried. In those verses, I felt God telling me not to stay focused on the past but to move forward with faith. He had miracles in the works for me, and I would know them when I saw them.
Later, after I started dating the wonderful guy I’d end up marrying, I reread this scripture and, of course, I cried. Again. God had done “a new thing” and truly had made “a way in the wilderness.” And I did know it.
My go-to scriptures when I am feeling discouraged are all still there, like Isaiah 42:16: “And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; … I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.” I read this one whenever I need a reminder that yes, God does have a work for me to do. I may not be seeing everything now, but things will be clear as I go along. God can clear the way for me.
I need this message a lot. There are so many decisions to make in this time of life, like what to do with careers and when to have children and how to help friends or family who are struggling. Knowing that God can guide us throughout all of these makes everything just a little less frightening.
So when things seem hopeless, don’t be afraid to open up to Isaiah. You don’t need to understand everything or even read everything to feel God’s love through Isaiah’s words. Pray to Heavenly Father to help you let His words speak peace to your soul.