Good Wednesday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Do you sometimes hear people say things like this: “With all the different religions in the world, each claiming they are right and each claiming their God is the true God, how can we ever find the one, true God, if there is one? With all the different political systems of the world, which one is the best one? And how do we find the absolute truth, that along with an unchanging moral code, is applicable to every person, in every part of the world, of every nation, and every generation?”
These are not new questions my friends, in fact these questions have plagued humanity in every part of the world for as long as humans have lived there. And of course, the range of answers offered have been as vast as the ocean! But where do we find the true and reliable answers?
Lately we’ve been working our way through some of Isaiah’s powerful messages from God which he wrote about 2700 years ago, but which are so very applicable to our day. Today we’re in Isaiah 43:8-13. Almighty God invites a global gathering of the wisest minds for the purpose of addressing the biggest and most important questions humanity faces.
Isaiah records that God sent out this invitation and challenge with these words: “Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. All the nations gather together, and the peoples assemble. Which of their gods foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, “It is true”. (Is. 43:8,9)
In our world where lies and distortions and false promises permeate the airwaves and all types of information distribution, God is calling us to ask the fundamental, essential question: is this true, can it be trusted? Rarely is the information or the promises or declarations that you or I hear or read fully true and reliable, regardless of the source. Do you agree? The opening line in God’s invitation about the blind and deaf is not talking about visual or hearing impairment, it’s talking about people who see and hear but cannot discern truth or fully understand, especially among the influential people of our world.
Then Isaiah reports that God makes several bold statements to the people of Israel, a small portion of this huge, global throng, as Isaiah 43 continues: “‘YOU are My witnesses’, declares the LORD, ‘and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am HE! Before Me no god was formed, nor will there be one after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from Me there is no Savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed – I, and not some foreign god among you. You are My witnesses’, declares the LORD, ‘that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am HE. No one can deliver out of My hand. When I act, who can reverse it?” (Is. 43:10-13)
God wants the people of Israel to understand that God designed them to be, in every generation, bold witnesses to the world about God’s authenticity as the only true God; God’s truthfulness as the only source of unchanging truth; and God’s infallibility, always trustworthy. Sadly, as we’ve seen in our journey through the Old Testament, most of the time the historical record shows us Israel failed miserably in this assignment from God, as they themselves turned away from the God of Israel and were not reliable, truth telling, witnesses for God.
So, my friends, we must all decide, are those words of God, written by Isaiah, true? Or are they boastful statements with no verifiable support, like so much of the flamboyant talk we hear from leaders all around our world, especially in election years? I declare these words of God are true! History declares that these words of God are absolute, unchanging, verifiable truth.
Does history show us that the God of Israel has proved Himself repeatedly to the people of Israel whom He calls His witnesses? YES! Does the Biblical record of Israel recount for us, AND the historical record of the middle east validate, that YES in fact God has REVEALED His power many times and God has SAVED His people from certain calamity many times? (Joshua 23:1-3) YES, oh YES! Is it true that many times God has challenged the false gods of many nations to prove their power, and they have never been comparable to Almighty God’s power? YES, remember Elijah and the prophets of Baal? (1 Kings 18)
Is it true, as God claims, that NO power can deliver someone or something out of the strong grasp or control of God? YES! (Ex. 13:14) (John 10:28,29) Is it true that when the God of Israel takes action, He does something, no one and no thing can reverse or undo what God has done!? (Ex.14:27-31) YES! Is it true that no power can hold in bondage that which God determines to deliver and thus He is the ONLY true Savior? YES! Is it true that the God of Israel is the CREATOR God, and EVERYTHING that exists anywhere in the universe is either created by God, has evolved from something God created or fabricated by mankind from something God created? YES! (Colossians 1:15-17)
I think this is a great place for us to pause and contemplate God’s challenge to all thinking people. Over the next few days, we’ll continue to evaluate Isaiah’s writings to see the case God makes that He stands alone in every measurable category of greatness and God calls all leaders, all people, to acknowledge that there is none like Him! And if we won’t, then we live with the disaster of our own delusional pride, declaring ourselves to be god!
Do you see that as an underlying theme in much of the flamboyant communication flowing out from people in positions of high influence around our world? Can you discern truth from distortion? Do you understand the danger of easily being deceived? Are you guiding your family well in this important discernment in the avalanche of untruthful information worldwide?
Let’s pause and worship this one, true, Almighty God with this great worship song which celebrates God’s uniqueness, and ask yourself as you listen, do you agree with each line of this song?
Today’s Scripture: Is. 43:8-13.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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