The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Isaiah 14:24-27,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"The Lord Almighty has sworn, 'Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen. I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.' This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?"
The scope of Isaiah's prophecy concerning the Lord's defeat of Assyria turns from the local to the cosmic. The Lord declares what he is going to do to Assyria and then challenges the hearers of the prophecy about anything he purposes to do, "the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?"
Who can turn his hand back? No one!
This passage speaks to the sole and sovereign control the Lord has over his creation. When he decides to do something, it is as good as done. Nothing can thwart him or his purposes. I am reminded of another passage later in this book, "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my [the Lord's] word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:10-11. Here in this passage we learn two things: the Lord has his own purposes and nothing can stop them from coming to fruition. The Lord gives the word and it simply happens.
In Psalm 115:3 we read, "Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him." Since our God is this way and since he always accomplishes what it is he desires, and since he has told us of his plans, might it not be a good idea to inform ourselves of what these things are? He has told us of them in the Scriptures because he intends for us to know.
We best get into our Bibles and avail ourselves of all God intends for us to know. After all, what it speaks to is coming our way and nothing can stop it.
The scope of Isaiah's prophecy concerning the Lord's defeat of Assyria turns from the local to the cosmic. The Lord declares what he is going to do to Assyria and then challenges the hearers of the prophecy about anything he purposes to do, "the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?"
Who can turn his hand back? No one!
This passage speaks to the sole and sovereign control the Lord has over his creation. When he decides to do something, it is as good as done. Nothing can thwart him or his purposes. I am reminded of another passage later in this book, "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my [the Lord's] word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:10-11. Here in this passage we learn two things: the Lord has his own purposes and nothing can stop them from coming to fruition. The Lord gives the word and it simply happens.
In Psalm 115:3 we read, "Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him." Since our God is this way and since he always accomplishes what it is he desires, and since he has told us of his plans, might it not be a good idea to inform ourselves of what these things are? He has told us of them in the Scriptures because he intends for us to know.
We best get into our Bibles and avail ourselves of all God intends for us to know. After all, what it speaks to is coming our way and nothing can stop it.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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