March 29, Monday Devotion

March 29, Monday Devotion

Isaiah 45:14-25

14 This is what the Lord says: “You will rule the Egyptians, the Ethiopians, and the Sabeans. They will come to you with all their merchandise, and it will all be yours. They will follow you as prisoners in chains. They will fall to their knees in front of you and say, ‘God is with you, and he is the only God. There is no other.’” 15 Truly, O God of Israel, our Savior, you work in mysterious ways. 16 All craftsmen who make idols will be humiliated. They will all be disgraced together. 17 But the Lord will save the people of Israel with eternal salvation. Throughout everlasting ages, they will never again be humiliated and disgraced. 18 For the Lord is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. “I am the Lord,” he says, “and there is no other. 19 I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. I, the
Lord, speak only what is true and declare only what is right. 20 “Gather together and come, you fugitives from surrounding nations. What fools they are who carry around their wooden idols and pray to gods that cannot save! 21 Consult together, argue your case. Get together and decide what to say. Who made these things known so long ago? What idol ever told you they would happen? Was it not I, the Lord? For there is no other God but me, a righteous God and Savior. There is none but me. 22 Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. 23 I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to me.” 24 The people will declare, “The Lord is the source of all my righteousness and strength.” And all who were angry with him will come to him and be ashamed. 25 In the Lord all the generations of Israel will be justified, and in him they will boast.
Quick Notes/Questions
So which of these promises are most attractive to you? The fact that we will rule? That all the loot/plunder will be ours? Or that people will say, "God is with you?" Yeah, that was kind of a trick question. Sorry. What does it mean that God is with us? Six years ago, a horrific thing happened to my family. We were pushed to the edge of our faith. The only comfort I remember through that time was believing that God was with us. The pain did not go away. I still have emotional scars and wounds from the tragedy. But I knew, then and now, that God is with me. I was reminded this past night from a friend's band that God, "loves us, Whoa! how He loves us, Whoa! how He loves." So wherever you are in this journey, know that God loves you and is with you... no matter who you or what you are going through.
Quick Prayer
Almighty God,
"I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me."*
Amen.
(*This was written by John Mark Mcmillan)