Verse of the Day 6/26

Verse of the Day 6/26

Isaiah 64:4

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised

4 From ages past no one has heard,

    no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
    who works for those who wait for him.

Today's passage starts out with a heartfelt cry for God's help.  That little one letter word in the NRSV version contains a lot.  It is a heartfelt cry of desparation, of need and a recognition of a situation that won't take care of itself, it calls for an act of God.  In this instance the prophet looks back on what God has done in the past in delivering His people and looks for God to step in once again.

Today's verse makes clear the fact that there is no one else besides the Lord God who can accomplish what needs to be done.  He can do what He has in the past and Isaiah calls the people to that remembrance.  The key word that jumps oout in the NRSV is "works".  Other translations say "acts".  The meaning is the same.  No one has or ever will hear of a God who sees, hears and does what God does.  This God works for us, for those who call on HIm.

Pastor John Piper writes, "Only a few things have gripped me with greater joy than the truth that God loves to show his God-ness by working for me, and that his working for me is always before and under and in any working I do for him. ......At first it may sound arrogant of us, and belittling to God, to say that he works for us. But that's only because of the connotation that I am an employer and God needs a job. That's not the connotation when the Bible talks about God's working for us. As in: "God works for those who wait for him" (Isaiah 64:4)......The proper connotation of saying God works for me is that I am bankrupt and need a bailout. I am weak and need someone strong. I am endangered and need a protector. I am foolish and need someone wise. I am lost and need a Rescuer....."God works for me" means I can't do the work.

As you go about your day, your week, don't try to "do it yourself".  Remember, "God works for me", we can't do it ourself.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Isaiah 64:1-4

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised

64 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,

    so that the mountains would quake at your presence—
2 [a] as when fire kindles brushwood
    and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
    so that the nations might tremble at your presence!
3 When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,
    you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
4 From ages past no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
    who works for those who wait for him.