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Isaiah 26:8
ESV In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul.
NIV Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.
NASB Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, Lord, We have waited for You eagerly; Your name, and remembering You, is the desire of our souls.
CSB Yes, Lord, we wait for you in the path of your judgments. Our desire is for your name and renown.
NLT Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.
KJV Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.

What does Isaiah 26:8 mean?

The prophet Isaiah's song (Isaiah 26:1) continues by declaring that there is greater security and safety when we follow the Lord's will (Isaiah 26:7). Another way of stating this truth is that those who demonstrate their trust in the Lord by obeying Him will receive from Him the benefit of walking fewer crooked or difficult paths of life (Isaiah 26:7). This does not mean a believer's life will be easy; but it does mean avoiding unnecessary harm.

In this part of his song, Isaiah makes it clear that walking level paths is not the point of trusting the Lord. The ultimate desire of our soul is the Lord Himself. We want His "name and remembrance," which is a way to describe who a person has proven themselves to be. In other words, we want the Lord God in all that He is. We walk the path of His judgments, meaning that we walk according to the revelation of His will for us in His Word.

What is being described here is a life of active waiting. We are walking the paths God has called us to, but we are filled with anticipation as we walk. We are anticipating our destination. Being with the Lord is the point of walking the path, not the journey along the way. This ties into the New Testament, where we are called to "run the race with endurance." Our time here on earth is a gift; we should constantly keep our eyes on the Lord as we go along through our lives (Hebrews 12:1–3).
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