Find Your Strength Through God

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Chapters: Isaiah 25-28
Message: Find Your Strength Through God

Hello My Friend,

The past couple of weeks in Sunday school we have been discussing the dispensations, which means to administer, as laws to particular cases. It is the sin nature of man that brings us in a direction that has nothing to do with God, and while today we are no longer under the law of works for our salvation, God still deals with sin the same way, and it separates us from Him. God may have had different ways in which He dealt with man over the centuries in regards to reconciliation, but one thing He never changes is His desire for all of His creation to acknowledge and love Him, which is why He sent Jesus. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” - John 3:16,17.

While the people during Old Testament times had no idea the impact the Messiah they heard about would have on the entire world, or even that signs were given to them from the time He created the earth, there is no doubt that God had a plan to reconcile man with Him from the start. Under the law of Moses when a person wanted to be reconciled with God they needed to go to the priest first, even the priest had to be reconciled and consecrated to speak to God. When the tabernacle and temple was built there was a place just for God to dwell, a veil separated God from the priests because they could not look directly at God. Through Isaiah, God reveals the day in which the veil will be taken away, and all will be able to stand before Him.

“O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built. Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee. For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.” - Isaiah 25:1-7.

“and the vail that is spread over all nations.” While sin always separates us from God, Jesus became the permanent redemption needed for not only the Jews, but all to reconcile with God and be able to stand before Him forever. Jesus gave His life so that all who believe in and receive Him as their Saviour can, not only be reconciled with God, but have permanent redemption. You know, in our own strength we can do pretty good, but we weary and tire out, which is why so many of us fall into sin, the flesh is just too weak to handle things all on its own. But when we find Christ, He becomes our strength to handle the things we cannot. God does not want us to be a bump on a log, He wants us to live, to make an effort to do things, to be strong and have courage to live this life He gave us, but He also wants us to come to Him, to be our strength when we have done all we can do.

“Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” - II Corinthians 3:12-17.

Israel and their surrounding nations was about to face judgment from God, while we hear of the grim outcome of Israel and even the world we are given a bit of hope as God reveals that He will be with every one of His people. Isaiah encourages all to keep trusting God, who is our strength. “In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.” - Isaiah 26:1-5.

“whose mind is stayed on thee:” When we focus on God, He gives us the strength to endure all things, even the judgments that are coming. Please understand, we who are saved, born again, children of God, that keep their eyes in God and make Christ Lord of their lives are not the ones being judged, it is everyone else because they allow sin to not only take over the world, but the church as well. A bulwark is a shelter, it gives protection and safety from danger. While we cannot stop the judgments that take place in our nations we can be protected by getting under the shelter of Christ. Through Isaiah, God comes out and says that does not want to place judgment upon people, but they are the ones who bring it because they refuse to turn away from sin.

“I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me. When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.” - Isaiah 27:3-5,11-13.

“therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them,” If you think God’s mercy is endless, think again, there does come a time when it runs out. To be reconciled means to call back into a union and friendship with God, Jesus is the bridge that brings a person back to Him. God will have no mercy on those who reject Him, but it is endless for those who accept Him. Through Isaiah, God reveals His precious corner stone.

“To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.” - Isaiah 28:12-18.

“and your agreement with hell shall not stand;” Praise God! The second we receive Christ as our Saviour our ticket to hell is tore up and we are diverted to not only heaven, but an eternity with Christ. The punishment for sin has always been death, but through Christ’s sinless death on the cross we can have the victory over death. “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - I Corinthians 15:25,57.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.” - Isaiah 25:8.

Today's Prayer: God, While we may not always understand Your ways, we can understand that You will be there for all who put their faith and trust in Your Son. Lord, You are my shelter, my protection, and my understanding. If I die today at least I know I get to be with You in heaven, but many cannot say that. I pray that You tender the hearts of those who are too proud to come to Your Son. I also pray for Your power and protection upon me and my family while I am here and help me to be a witness to all who need You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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