Blog Archives - Created through Him

Created Through Him

Water

8/31/2012

11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not (Isaiah 58:11).

Faith is reliance, reliance on the Lord God. God literally sustains us by His actions. Water is the sign of life and it is not accidental that water is used in scripture to describe how God sustains us. The human body is made up of about 60% water. Without water we will die. Likewise, without God we cannot live life to its’ fullest and eventually we will run dry. God begs us to come and drink from living waters, and by doing so we cannot fail and will never run dry.

By faith

8/30/2012

57 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. 2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness (Isaiah 57:1-2).

These verses from Isaiah are meant to remind us that there is always more than meets the eye in any situation. God as sovereign Lord has a purpose for all things. This is clearly hard for us to understand especially when we consider such topics as death. But we walk by faith not by sight. There is very good reason that we are to walk by faith; our sight is inadequate to grasp the purposes and intent of God. I cannot begin to explain through reason the occurrence and timing of tragedy. Our faith however is designed to be sufficient to handle anything. Sufficiency, though, does not mean that we won’t feel immense sorry during times of loss. Remember that our hope must be in God and that hope is grounded therefore in an eternal perspective.

Without price

8/29/2012

55 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price (Isaiah 55:1).

God calls us to Himself. He bids us to come to Him. This is a gift of God, and although of infinite worth, it is without price for us. God paid the price on our behalf. God’s grace is then given freely. When we are downtrodden and are in despair, remember that if we come to God, He will refresh and renew our souls. When we turn to God in times of trouble, He will always provide exactly what is needed.

The atonement

8/28/2012

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth (Isaiah 53:6-7).

The divine plan for salvation is of old. God Himself through the person and work of Christ paid the penalty for our sins. This passage from Isaiah, written some 700 years before Christ, is one of the primary scriptures depicting the substitutionary atonement. The substitutionary atonement ultimately satisfies the justice of God and allows the restoration of our relationship with God.

It is God

8/27/2012

6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. 7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth (Isaiah 52:6-7)!

God will be known by His people and God’s people will be known by Him. One of the mechanisms that God uses to help people come to know Him is through other people. In these verses from Isaiah we learn that those that bring the good news of the Gospel to others are blessed. They are blessed because they simply give the facts of the Gospel. The Gospel brings good tidings, peace, salvation, and acknowledges God as the sovereign ruler over the Creation. Remember when you share the Gospel; you are sharing good news, in the fact the best news, ever.

No fear of the world

8/26/2012

7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings (Isaiah 51:7).

This verse is both a reminder and an encouragement to believers. The reminder is that God is in control and sovereign. The encouragement is that through God’s control and sovereignty there is nothing to fear from the world. While we are not to fear the world, we are to fear God. The fear of God is something we don’t often consider. But we should consider the fear of God, nonetheless. This fear leads to life and is for our own good. Those that fear God will obey Him and worship Him as the sovereign Creator of heaven and earth.

They shall not hunger or thirst

8/25/2012

8 Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; 9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. 10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them (Isaiah 49:8-10).

God cares for His people. The plan of salvation is an action of God in mercy toward us all. God times everything so that we benefit and He receives the glory. Verse 10 is a verse of sustainment and should be very comforting. God is all we need. God leads us to a place where we are renewed and upheld. We can rest assured that when we are in God’s care, we will, in time, be restored and drink from the springs of living water-that spring is Christ Jesus.

The Holy One of Israel

8/24/2012

16 Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me. 17 Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go (Isaiah 48:16-17).

God’s plan for redemption has been present and in action from the beginning of creation. The creation is to be redeemed through Christ. Notice also that redemption is not something we earn. It is God that leads us and it is God that redeems us. God marks our path. The path in turn leads to redemption through the person and work of the Holy One of Israel: The Lord Jesus Christ.

Declaring the end from the beginning

8/23/2012

9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure (Isaiah 46:9-10).

Reading these verses it is hard to deny that God declares that He is sovereign. This is not a God that just lets things be. God is the designer, the architect, the judge, and the ruler. He is unchanging. When God speaks, whatever is spoken will occur. God does not need or desire advisors, prognosticators or pundits. What God desires is a people, set apart by Him, through which He displays His sovereign grace for their good and His glory.

There is but one God

8/22/2012

5 I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else (Isaiah 45:5-6).

The importance of the acknowledgment that there is a God cannot be overstated. Of course the mere acknowledgment is just a beginning. We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart. But there are many that even deny that God exists. The denial however has no bearing on the reality of God. God is the eternal, unchanging maker of heaven and earth. God is great and there is no god, except the God of bible.

Created Through Him