Devotion 10 of 10 in the series I Am the LORD: Isaiah 44 and 45

What Is God’s Word for You Today?

What Is God's Word for You Today_arms raised in praise

Isaiah 44 and 45 (ESV): Digging into God’s Word

We have spent 9 devotions on Isaiah 44 and 45. Who knew we could glean so much for our lives out of these two chapters?

From Isaiah’s perspective, two main themes emerge in chapters 44 and 45:

  1. Following idols, although prevalent, is useless.
  2. Only the God of the Bible can accurately foretell future events.

Let’s recall the historical context of these chapters:

  • Isaiah lived in the southern kingdom of Israel, called Judah. The people of the northern kingdom had been taken captive by the Assyrians in 734 B.C., and Isaiah, along with the people of Judah, lived under constant threat that the Assyrians would overtake their country.
  • Isaiah had prophesied that Jerusalem would stand against the Assyrians, and it did. During Isaiah’s lifetime, most of Judah did fall, but in 701 B.C., the city of Jerusalem was spared by an angel of God (2 Chronicles 32:21).
  • In previous chapters, Isaiah had prophesied that another world power, the Babylonians, would take Jerusalem captive. In fact, Jerusalem later fell to King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C., and the people were marched across the desert to the Babylonian captivity.
  • In Isaiah 44 and 45, Isaiah delivered God’s news that a ruler named Cyrus would free the people from the Babylonian captivity. A century and a half later, the Israelites were, in fact, freed by a Persian ruler named Cyrus.

Even though Isaiah wrote directly to the people of Judah, God’s word spoken through him applies to our lives. Several key verses from these chapters are printed here for us to reflect on. Which of these verses resonates with you today?

From Isaiah 44:

2 Thus says the LORD who made you,
who formed you from the womb and will help you:
Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.

8 Fear not, nor be afraid;
have I not told you from of old and declared it?
And you are my witnesses!
Is there a God besides me?
There is no Rock; I know not any.

19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?”

22 I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud
and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.

24 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,”

28 [I am the LORD] who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,
and he shall fulfill all my purpose’;
saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’
and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’

From Isaiah 45:

5 I am the LORD, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,
6 that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the LORD, and there is no other.

9 “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him,
a pot among earthen pots!
Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’
or ‘Your work has no handles’?”

19 I did not speak in secret,
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
‘Seek me in vain.’
I the LORD speak the truth;
I declare what is right.

21 Declare and present your case;
let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the LORD?
And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none besides me.

22 “Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.”

Digging Deeper

As you are able, spend time with God, reflecting on these questions or journaling your thoughts.

  1. Choose one of the verses to focus on during your devotional time. What is the main theme of the passage you chose?
  2. Why did you choose to focus on this verse? What is God saying to you through His Word?
  3. Ask God to reveal more to you about the purpose of that verse in your life. Spend time listening for His promptings. If you hear crickets, no worries! Write down some thoughts, reread the passage, and listen again. It could be that God will speak to you in a whisper or with a 2 x 4 later in the day. Keep your eyes and ears open!

Extra Info!

Stay with us for the next series, “All in a Day’s Work,” devotions about the tasks God has given us to do, whether at home or in the workplace. Be sure to sign up on the website or at THIS LINK to have them delivered to your inbox.

You can find all of the devotions from the last three series at these links:

 

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Comments

  1. Eric Mott says:

    Isaiah 45:9.
    In the past I have often wished to be different in certain ways. Perceiving parts of me to be lacking. I really don’t stop to think about how that is in reality saying to God “Hey, I would make these improvements on your work”.

    • Digging Deeper with God says:

      I love how that verse is phrased in Isaiah. I often wonder what I would have looked like in the creation of God without sin. For example, He clearly created me to be a person of detail, and I should celebrate that, but in a sinless version, that would be without perfectionism or criticism. Sometimes it is difficult to splice that out.

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