Even when we think we have placed ourselves far away from the loving hand of God, He is actually close at hand. The Lord is always watching over us and protecting us, despite any poor choices or unfaithful actions we might have made. He is gently calling for us to return to Him, our One great hope, and to enjoy the blessing and goodness that a purified life in Him can give.
God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to His people despite the fact they had turned their backs on Him and were following after false gods and idols down a path of self-destruction.
8 “But you, Israel, are My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
The descendants of Abraham My friend.
9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,
‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away:
10 Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:8-10 (NKJV)
God is also speaking to us through Isaiah. Whether by birth, or by being grafted in through faith in the loving sacrifice of Christ, believers today are still being brought close to God through the life and blessings of His friend, Abraham. The Lord chose Abraham to begin His work of reconciliation with the people of the world, and Abraham is the first member of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, our Messiah and Redeemer.
We, like Israel, have been chosen by God to be His servants and to do the work of His kingdom here on earth. This work usually involves serving others to meet their need in a manner that draws them closer to God. They are able to see God’s love through our actions and to hear His tender words through ours, as the Holy Spirit leads. God does the real work, setting up the situations, and confirming in their hearts that 1) He is real, 2) He cares, and 3) that He wants a personal and permanent love relationship with them.
God knows that we are weak and often fearful of getting involved. He wants to remove our fears and to strengthen our weaknesses so that we may enjoy our life’s journey by walking with and following Him. While there will often be obstacles to cause us anxiety or distress, He will work along with us to either remove them or to help us to carefully walk around them. He will bless and guide us to be able to put these burdens and cares behind us.
With God holding us in His righteous right hand, as promised in Isaiah’s text, nothing can prevail against us. Dark clouds may gather to threaten us and cause great fear and trembling. But as a friend once counseled me in my dark hour, “if God wants you to stay, they could not blast you out with dynamite”. And as it turned out, he was absolutely correct.
As Isaiah writes, God has called us from the farthest regions of the earth. I pray to one day meet all the people who have read this meditation, on earth or in heaven, and perhaps you will tell me that I, too, was from the farthest reaches of the globe! The invention of the internet and the growth of English as a second or third language makes all of this quite possible. There is no limit to the reach of God’s word, even to the farthest region.
Reflection
What are the biggest sources of anxiety and fear for you today? God loves to help us and to demonstrate His great love and mercy for each one of us as we bring our trials to Him. It is based upon His goodness, not our merit.
The Lord promises to strengthen us when we are weak, and by His presence, to cast out all of our fears. Since God is for us, who can prevail against us? No one.
Lord, thank You for being right here and loving me, despite my sinfulness and unworthiness. Wash me clean by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. I turn to You, casting all of my anxieties and fears upon You. Thank You for taking them away and for holding me in Your righteous right hand, as Isaiah promised. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
May the Lord richly bless and protect you today.
Daily Meditations from the Genealogy of Jesus 