Bible Pathway - August 9
Read Isaiah 43 – 46
Highlights:
This is powerful! I alone am God; your Redeemer cometh, don’t fear! Promise after promise of the Lord’s love and protection plus the prophecy of our Savior’s redeeming work and Jerusalem restored; Read and be blessed; Cyrus is introduced; Note the warning against false idols in chap. 46. Don’t miss 46:13! What a promise!!
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert (Isa. 43:18-19).
The one thing that every living person has in common is that we all have a past. There are many of us who have done things in our past that we are not particularly proud of. We may have lied, hurt someone we loved or even done something illegal. These things are not so easy to escape. It is difficult to forget the wrongs we have done. This is especially so when we are reminded of them by our enemy, the devil, or when he uses some individual to remind us of them.
If we have surrendered our lives to Christ, these sins of the past are not ours to deal with anymore. We have asked the Lord to forgive us of them and have turned away from that sort of lifestyle. This means that God has taken these sins away from us. They are gone forever. Scripture is clear on this matter. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us (Ps. 103:12). Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the LORD (Acts 3:19).
There is no need for the believer to dwell on the things of the past, that life is done away with. Scripture clearly teaches us that when we accept Christ we are new or, as some say born again. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Cor. 5:17).
The verses from Isaiah are reinforcing these thought lines. We are told to let the past live in the past, because that is where it belongs. Clearly, Isaiah tells us that we are to live in the here and now and not to look back.
All that God did in the past has already been done. He does not work in yesterday. The Lord works in our present time. God is constantly moving in our lives. He guides the steps we are taking today.
Scripture goes on to say that God is doing things in our lives now that He has never done before. He will carry us to places that we have never been. There are always new experiences on the horizon with the Lord.
Sometimes, we may go through dry places in life. It may seem that these spots will take forever to cross. God has given us a promise of empowerment, not only to survive, but to flourish in these places.
There are times when we pray for deliverance out of, the dry places in life, but we must remember that God may have a reason for us being there. This may be the place where God is about to do something big with our lives. We all need to consider the thought of growing where we are planted. This is even more true when God is sending the seed and the rain.
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen (2 Pet. 3:18).
Thought for Today:
Have you learned to trust and obey God's Word?
Christ Revealed:
As the Redeemer (Is. 43:1; 44:22-24). Through His death on the cross, Christ has redeemed (bought back) all who trust Him as their Savior (1 Cor. 6:20; Gal. 4:4-5; Titus 2:13-14; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).
Word Studies:
43:2 fire, oppression; kindle upon, consume; 43:13 let it, prevent it from happening; 44:9 delectable, cherished; 45:1 loose the loins of, weaken; two leaved gates, double gates; 46:12 stouthearted, stubborn-minded.
Prayer Suggestion: Praise the Lord; our God is the Mighty God (Ps. 50:1).
Optional Reading: James 4
Memory Verse for the Week: Psalms 89:1
