Verse of the Day 6/18
Isaiah 46:3-4English Standard Version (ESV)
3 "Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
carried from the womb;
4 even to your old age I am he,
and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
carried from the womb;
4 even to your old age I am he,
and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.
.
I ended yesterday's devotional with the song "All the Way My Savior Leads Me" which described how He gives us grace for every trial and the "living bread" to sustain us.
As I've gotten older and the grey hairs outnumber what used to be blonde, I can look back on how God has carried me and sustained me in the trials and storms in my life. Today's verses were written to the nation of Israel but they can definitely be taken personally as well. Then as now there are countless man made and mind made idols that can take our attention and affection away from God. But in the end, they are powerless to help us and will be powerless when we need it most.
John MacArthur writes, "The God of Israel is not like helpless idols. In His strength He sustained and will helpless Israel through every circumstance. In v.4, the Lord uses the first person pronoun six times to emphasize His personal involvement in delivering Israel." God is personally involved in our lives and can sustain us, strengthen us. As The Message puts it in verse 8, we need to "Think about this. Wrap your minds around it. This is serious business, rebels. Take it to heart."
Don't be fooled by "false idols" that promise you everything but will leave you with nothing. Hop on God's back, let Him carry you.
I've been carrying you on my back
from the day you were born,
And I'll keep on carrying you when you're old.
I'll be there, bearing you when you're old and gray. V.3-4 The Message
from the day you were born,
And I'll keep on carrying you when you're old.
I'll be there, bearing you when you're old and gray. V.3-4 The Message
Isaiah 46:3-11The Message (MSG)
3-4 "Listen to me, family of Jacob,
everyone that's left of the family of Israel.
I've been carrying you on my back
from the day you were born,
And I'll keep on carrying you when you're old.
I'll be there, bearing you when you're old and gray.
I've done it and will keep on doing it,
carrying you on my back, saving you.
everyone that's left of the family of Israel.
I've been carrying you on my back
from the day you were born,
And I'll keep on carrying you when you're old.
I'll be there, bearing you when you're old and gray.
I've done it and will keep on doing it,
carrying you on my back, saving you.
5-7 "So to whom will you compare me, the Incomparable?
Can you picture me without reducing me?
People with a lot of money
hire craftsmen to make them gods.
The artisan delivers the god,
and they kneel and worship it!
They carry it around in holy parades,
then take it home and put it on a shelf.
And there it sits, day in and day out,
a dependable god, always right where you put it.
Say anything you want to it, it never talks back.
Of course, it never does anything either!
Can you picture me without reducing me?
People with a lot of money
hire craftsmen to make them gods.
The artisan delivers the god,
and they kneel and worship it!
They carry it around in holy parades,
then take it home and put it on a shelf.
And there it sits, day in and day out,
a dependable god, always right where you put it.
Say anything you want to it, it never talks back.
Of course, it never does anything either!
8-11
"Think about this. Wrap your minds around it.
This is serious business, rebels. Take it to heart.
Remember your history,
your long and rich history.
I am God, the only God you've had or ever will have—
incomparable, irreplaceable—
From the very beginning
telling you what the ending will be,
All along letting you in
on what is going to happen,
Assuring you, 'I'm in this for the long haul,
I'll do exactly what I set out to do,'
Calling that eagle, Cyrus, out of the east,
from a far country the man I chose to help me.
I've said it, and I'll most certainly do it.
I've planned it, so it's as good as done.
This is serious business, rebels. Take it to heart.
Remember your history,
your long and rich history.
I am God, the only God you've had or ever will have—
incomparable, irreplaceable—
From the very beginning
telling you what the ending will be,
All along letting you in
on what is going to happen,
Assuring you, 'I'm in this for the long haul,
I'll do exactly what I set out to do,'
Calling that eagle, Cyrus, out of the east,
from a far country the man I chose to help me.
I've said it, and I'll most certainly do it.
I've planned it, so it's as good as done.
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