Isaiah 45 (HCSB)
1 The Lord says this to Cyrus, His anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him and the gates will not be shut:
2 “I will go before you and level the uneven places; I will shatter the bronze doors and cut the iron bars in two.
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches from secret places, so that you may know that I, Yahweh, the God of Israel call you by your name.
4 I call you by your name, because of Jacob My servant and Israel My chosen one. I give a name to you, though you do not know Me.
5 I am Yahweh, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will strengthen you, though you do not know Me,
6 so that all may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is no one but Me. I am Yahweh, and there is no other.
7 I form light and create darkness, I make success and create disaster; I, Yahweh, do all these things.
8 “Heavens, sprinkle from above, and let the skies shower righteousness. Let the earth open up so that salvation will sprout and righteousness will spring up with it. I, Yahweh, have created it.
9 “Woe to the one who argues with his Maker—one clay pot among many. Does clay say to the one forming it, ‘What are you making?’ Or does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?
10 How absurd is the one who says to his father, ‘What are you fathering?’ or to his mother, ‘What are you giving birth to?’”
11 This is what the Lord, the Holy One of Israel and its Maker, says: “Ask Me what is to happen to My sons, and instruct Me about the work of My hands.
12 I made the earth, and created man on it. It was My hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host.
13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and will level all roads for him. He will rebuild My city, and set My exiles free, not for a price or a bribe,” says the Lord of Hosts.
God Alone is the Savior
14 This is what the Lord says:
The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush and the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours; they will follow you, they will come over in chains and bow down to you. They will confess to you: God is indeed with you, and there is no other; there is no other God.
15 Yes, You are a God who hides Himself, God of Israel, Savior.
16 All of them are put to shame, even humiliated; the makers of idols go in humiliation together.
17 Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you will not be put to shame or humiliated for all eternity.
18 For this is what the Lord says—God is the Creator of the heavens. He formed the earth and made it. He established it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited—“I am Yahweh, and there is no other.
19 I have not spoken in secret, somewhere in a land of darkness. I did not say to the descendants of Jacob: Seek Me in a wasteland. I, Yahweh, speak truthfully; I say what is right.
20 “Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives of the nations. Those who carry their wooden idols, and pray to a god who cannot save, have no knowledge.
21 Speak up and present your case—yes, let them take counsel together. Who predicted this long ago? Who announced it from ancient times? Was it not I, Yahweh? There is no other God but Me, a righteous God and Savior; there is no one except Me.
22 Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other.
23 By Myself I have sworn; Truth has gone from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow to Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.
24 It will be said to Me: Righteousness and strength is only in the Lord.” All who are enraged against Him will come to Him and be put to shame.
25 All the descendants of Israel will be justified and find glory through the Lord.
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verses 16-17): There are so many times that I’ve put other things or people above You, Father. This always leads to me feeling humiliated or shameful in some way, shape, or form. Please forgive me, Father, for not always keep You as my number 1 in my life through all things. Please remind me when I falter to refocus my words, thoughts, and actions back onto You, Father. Thank You for the everlasting salvation and grace only You can provide, even though I’ve faltered so much.
PROMISE (verses 8, 17, 22): You assure us multiple times just in this one piece of Scripture and so many more times throughout the remainder of the Bible that You are our Lord and Savior and that through You and only You we shall have eternal salvation. You also promise us that through You, righteousness can be birthed in us, Father. Help me to not only accept this promise fully, but also to internalize it always.
ATTITUDE (verses 9-10): Father, please forgive me for my attitude of doubt and questioning. Far too often in my faith journey I have doubted or questioned whether or not You’d intervene in something, so I take it upon myself to try and get through it alone. This often produces bad results, frustration, and/or the wrong fruits. Help me to have an attitude that leans on You and trusts You and Your timing, Father.
COMMAND (verse 22): Your command in this Scripture is quite simple, yet rarely done properly. You tell us to “turn to You and be saved” which sounds so simple and easy to do yet for too often I turn away from You to do things through sin, the flesh, or the world. Help me to stay turned towards You, Father, so I may stay in Your will, glorifying You in all that I do.
EXAMPLE (verses 23-25): The example You give here, Father, has such simple steps, but it seems like leaping over mountains at times for me. You say that only Truth comes from Your mouth, yet far too often I have spoken from the flesh or said what the world expects of me instead of Your truth. You tell us to bow to You and swear allegiance to You, yet far too often I stray to what the world expects of me. You tell us that our righteousness and strength can only be found in You, Lord, yet I often live a self-righteous lifestyle dependent on my own strength to get me through it all. You tell us that we “will be justified and find glory through the Lord,” yet far too often I live in a way that is self-justified and seeks the glory of others. Help me to live a life by Your example, Father, so that I can put aside my broken ways of the past that glorify myself; help me to carry Your mantle and follow Your way properly so I may glorify You in all that I do.
*DAILY NOTE: I don’t know if I’m just getting better at understanding Isaiah or if You are just speaking louder to me, Father, but I do feel like Isaiah is speaking to me rather more lately. Thank You for Your truth, Father. Thank You for all the wisdom and good counsel You are giving me in our relationship. Please continue to remind me daily that Your truth is what matters most; not the “truth” of Filip, the “truth” of the flesh, or the “truth” of others in this broken world. Thank You for the Truth that You provide, Father.
*GENERAL NOTE: I always "sandwich" my quiet time with God in prayer and do it in a location that I will not have any distractions so that I can be focused on my quiet time with God. Do not worry about how short or long your journal entries are for that day's quiet time. Just focus on the actual quiet time and relational conversation with God through the Holy Spirit and His Word. The journaling is an enhancement to your quiet time conversation with God, but also to allow you to reflect on things later as you can look back on your journal entries later when you do the chapters again in the future to see how you have grown. See the FAQ for more detail on how I do my quiet time.
Comments