Unflinchingly Convicting
“For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed” (Isaiah 50:7).
I recently heard the word unflinching, used to describe the kind of support that I had provided for someone. Although I didn’t quite know the meaning of the word, the phrase that came to mind was Isaiah’s reference regarding ‘fixing his face like a flint.’ I believe in chapter 50 Isaiah spoke about waking daily to hear the word of God in order to speak a word to the weary (Isaiah 50:4).
Most prophets in Bible days were not very popular people, because their message was often one of repentance and judgement. Yet Isaiah was convinced that he was not afraid of shame or persecution, but he would continue to stand firm in his conviction. This is because Isaiah knew that God was with him to protect and defend him.
I looked up the word unflinching and it means, ‘not showing fear or hesitation in the face of danger or difficulty.’ I imagine that this word may have come, from having one‘s face set hard like a flint or a stone. A flint is a hard rock which has been used for centuries to make weapons. I suppose this stone is powerful and hard, so Isaiah’s reference was to having a determined perseverance in the face of difficulty and danger.
We need unflinching determination to do the will of God, to accomplish our life’s mission and purpose and to not be deterred by opposition or trials. We have to have our faces fixed like a flint, because we know that God is with us so we will not be ashamed. We have confidence in what God says in spite of what our circumstances look like. We speak light into the darkness and command things that be not as though they were (Romans 4:7).
A.P.-Y.
Published by Anneta Pinto-Young
I am a trained Social Worker who currently provides professional leadership on a programme to support Social Work students and Newly Qualified Social Workers entering the Social Work Profession.
Born and raised in Jamaica in a Christian family where my father is an ordained Pastor and Deacon who has served for over 50 years in the ministry. My father is also a trained musician and our family can be described as a musical family. I grew up in a small farming community in St. Peter’s, St. Andrew and my parents also have a small farm.
I credit my gift of writing to my father who I watched and listened to over the years as he wrote sermons, poems and other recitals in his capacity in ministry. English has always been an easy subject for me and over the years I have developed an increased interest in writing.
I am a Trainer, I sing and have a passion for worship, the spoken word and the free flow of the prophetic anointing. I am married to my best friend Andrew Christopher Young who is an advanced Musician and whose music you can find on YouTube and Facebook. I am a trained Coach and Mentor and I love experimenting with food so I love cooking. I enjoy trying cultural dishes from across the world and I view food as an entry into cultures and languages.
View all posts by Anneta Pinto-Young
Published
June 16, 2022
