Isaiah 44:24 - 45:25

Read Isaiah 44:24-45:25

Verses for meditation: 44:24, 28; 45:6, 25

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfil all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’” So that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. But all the descendants of Israel will find deliverance in the Lord and will make their boast in him.

Reflect

These 2 chapters give an absorbing account of God, with many beautiful verses to pore over and reflect.

As you go through them, you could be asking the following questions, especially at this time of the year:

Who is this God? It doesn't matter if you have asked it before. Each time you do, new truths are revealed. The enlightened perspectives will be like a new pair of lens, though some questions remain still unanswered.

What can God do through me to fulfill his purpose, say, in the coming year? First of all, know that God can do anything with or without you. But he has chosen to fulfill it through you instead.

What does God really want from me, say, in the coming year? Do you know what God expects of you, especially from your reflection of the verses? What do they say about the endpoint in this relationship?

Relate

Who is this God who is like no other? ln what respects is he like no other, if it may be asked?

Six times in chapter 45 alone, it is mentioned that there is none like him, which is as good as saying he has no comparison or equal. He is Almighty God and Creator God par excellence.

Indeed, everything that stands before him is created by him, which includes everything that induces wonder in us and everything that leaves us awestruck. You name it and he has created them. But of all his creations, nothing comes close to the man and woman he has created in his image. We are decidedly his most intimate creations ever.

Nothing can likewise stand in his way. There is no power that is greater than him, no path that is inaccessible to him, and no plan that is too difficult for him. He has the power over all things, access to everything and means to accomplish anything.

Since no one has created him, how could anything created then be even compared to him.

But even so, as the Creator of the entire universe, he has a plan for you and me, who are but mere specks in the universe. This plan is not ours. However, we would often like to think that it is ours. It would take some time before we realise it, as it did for me. The way he answers our prayers is also the way he shows us that these are his plans. Even then, he does not show them all at once, but in piecemeal fashion. This further adds to the difficulty of understanding his plans, which are already difficult as they are. That's how it has been for me. But, once we're within his will, we can rest assured there's nothing that he cannot do to make his plans succeed. In the process, we will discover the riches of his grace, mercy and wisdom when our wills are fully aligned.

In order to fulfil his plans, God can use anybody who will serve his purpose, even Cyrus, a pagan king. Therefore, when looking at a leader, let's not be easily appalled or mesmerised by them based on our preconceived notion. Instead, we should look beyond them and ask who we think is behind them. Do we sense the Spirit of God?

I remember witnessing two speeches delivered by two men of the cloth on the same evening many years ago. Both men were at the top of the pecking order in the organisation. But if I can be honest, I didn't sense the Spirit of God behind one of them. What I sensed was the flesh of man.

On the subject of what God wants from us, besides the willingness to serve his purpose, he wants our boast as well. He wants us to boast that we know him as the mighty God and the creator God, the universe's nonpareil of the ages.

In summary, this is how we are wowed by him - by knowing who he is. This is how we wait on him - by serving his purpose. And this is how we worship him - by boasting in him.

Rest

Lord, as we look at the year that's fast ending and ahead to the new year that’s fast approaching, keep us wowed by who you are, and not so much by what have happened or are about to happen. Let our wait be steadfast, allowing your purpose, not ours, to be served. And let us continue to worship you by boasting in your strength, in your wisdom, and in your riches and providence so that we can say your grace is indeed sufficient, we can say that we do not lean on our own understanding, and we can say that we truly lack nothing.

Naville Chia