Isaiah 42-49
“But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;” Isaiah 43:1-5
Dear God, I praise Thee that even when Thy people turn their backs on Thee, that You redeem them and love them regardless. Lord, I know that this passage has to do with Thy people, the Jews, and I praise Thee that Thou hast not cast them off utterly and will continue to use them. At the same time, I pray that You would forgive my sins and cleans me from all unrighteousness. Lord, the message today convicted me so of my apathy toward Thee and the truth that there are people on their way to hell. Please, I beg of Thee, shake me out of apathy and out of fear. I often fear what Thou may truly do with me if I were to totally surrender, but still, I know it is what You desire of me. Help me not to fear and to place my trust in Thee.
“Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and show us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior. I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.” Isaiah 43:7-12
Lord, what can I say to this other than Thou art truly worthy to be praised and worshiped. Lord, I only wish, that in my sinful state, I could stand in awe of Thee as I ought…but I know that even when I shall stand in Thee completed at the foot of Thy throne in heaven, I shall still be unable to give Thee the praise and adoration that truly is due Thee and that is why we will praise Thee for all eternity. That is why the seraphim continually praise the thrice holy God. Lord, I truly do not understand, and most likely will never, even in heaven, understand Thy interest in such a sinful waste as me. Help me to praise Thee forever and to live in the truth that Thou art the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and besides Thee, there is no Savior.
“But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honored me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me. Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.” Isaiah 43:22-28
Lord, how could you be of such infinite mercy, compassion, and grace that for Thine own sake, Thou wouldst blot out the transgressions of Thy people. Lord, the more I read, the more I am amazed at the depth of Thy love for Thy people Israel. But knowing Thy love for Israel, I am even more amazed that You would love a gentile dog such as me. O’ Lord, how could I commit such iniquities against Thee and cause Thee to serve with my sins? How could I weary Thee so with my utter disregard for The place You ought to hold in my life? Dear God, I know that I must change my conduct and place Thee in the most prolific place in my life that there would be no question of who I serve and that sinners would be drawn unto Thee. Help me to serve Thee and change my heart I beg of Thee.
“They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. The blacksmith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house. He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshipeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshipeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.” Isaiah 44:9-18
My Lord and my God! How is it that for so long I have laid idle from Thy word, and have not come to hear Thy desire for the world from Thy own lips? I have listened to the words of men year by year, yet have allowed myself so frequently to regard that as enough. My personal relationship with Thee has laid dormant for year upon year as I have continued in my own vanity as there are people around the world that fashion gods of their own effort and strength as described in these verses! THEY HAVE NO HOPE AND YET I STAND UNMOVED AND UNASHAMED…O’ WRECHED MAN THAT I AM! Lord, I beg Thy forgiveness as I sit and Billions around the world are dying. Satan has very effectively, for nearly all of my years as a Christian to fight me in the one place where it matters most, my personal walk with Thee in Thy word. And the second is like unto it, in that I have cared little for the furtherance of any kind of knowledge that would better aid me in my desire to follow close to Thee and to reach the world. Help me to go with all fervor to those who fission gods of their own hands that shall die in their sins without hope.
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