God Our Helper

False Confidence

Summary Isaiah 41:1-7

Our Lord God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit – desires to speak to the people of this world, both to those who believe in Jesus Christ and to those who don’t. So, he is calling a meeting with the people who live on this earth in order to present to them the facts (the reality) of His Word.

Our God is completely sovereign over all that he has created. He is absolutely in control over all things, and he holds all history and our future fully in his hands. There is not anything any of us can do to thwart God’s plans and purposes. What he has said he will do will be accomplished, for he is completely faithful to fulfill all of that which he has promised.

Not anything of this world that we might cling to will ever complete us, save us, give us true hope, or give us inward peace which is everlasting. No alliances with other human beings can secure our safety or our future well-being. The things and the people of this world are all destined to perish. All the idols that we, as humans, may now find solace or pleasure in will not help us when God works his judgments on this earth and on its people.

Isaiah 41:8-14 NASB

“But you, Israel, My servant,

Jacob whom I have chosen,

Descendant of Abraham My friend,

You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,

And called from its remotest parts

And said to you, ‘You are My servant,

I have chosen you and not rejected you.

‘Do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,

Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

“Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored;

Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.

“You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them,

Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.

“For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand,

Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’

“Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel;

I will help you,” declares the Lord, “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

God Our Helper

Those whom God loves he disciplines (chastises, rebukes, corrects). He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness, and in order that the discipline might yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness in our lives (Heb. 12:3-11). It is the same as Jesus pruning us, his branches who are bearing fruit, in order that we might bear even more fruit (Jn. 15:1-2).

Sometimes this discipline (divine correction) is necessary because we are wandering off course and we need to be brought back in line with God’s Word and with his purposes for our lives. The discipline gets our attention so that we call on God, and so he can point out to us where we have gotten off the right path, and so he can show us the way in which we need to go.

And, it is during these times, too, that he encourages our hearts, and he lets us know that what we are going through is for our good, that he has not left us, that he is still there to help us through it all, and that he is going to bring good out of it in our lives. So, we are not to fear our circumstances, but we are to call on God for help, guidance and wisdom to see us through. He will give us the strength we need to endure and to conquer our foe.

Isaiah 41:17-20 NASB

“The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none,

And their tongue is parched with thirst;

I, the Lord, will answer them Myself,

As the God of Israel I will not forsake them.

“I will open rivers on the bare heights

And springs in the midst of the valleys;

I will make the wilderness a pool of water

And the dry land fountains of water.

“I will put the cedar in the wilderness,

The acacia and the myrtle and the olive tree;

I will place the juniper in the desert

Together with the box tree and the cypress,

That they may see and recognize,

And consider and gain insight as well,

That the hand of the Lord has done this,

And the Holy One of Israel has created it.

He Supplies Our Needs

Whatever we truly need, and God knows what we need better than we do, God will supply to those who have put their faith and trust in Him – to those who call out to him in their suffering and who seek his help to meet them in their time of need.

Sometimes, though, what we think we need is not what we really need, and what we want to be delivered from, in the way of suffering, may be exactly what we need at that time. I think that is often because we tend to seek comfort above all else, but comfort can sometimes lead to laziness, complacency and distractions which hinder our walks of faith.

But, our God is a God of miracles. Nothing is too hard for him. Where things seem rather dry sometimes, he can turn into blessings. He can make a way where there seems to be no way. He can turn darkness to light, and he can make the sun stand still, and bring rain in a time of drought. So, whatever we are going through, our God is able to meet our every need.

Isaiah 41:25-29 NASB

“I have aroused one from the north, and he has come;

From the rising of the sun he will call on My name;

And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar,

Even as the potter treads clay.”

Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know?

Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”?

Surely there was no one who declared,

Surely there was no one who proclaimed,

Surely there was no one who heard your words.

“Formerly I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’

And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a messenger of good news.’

“But when I look, there is no one,

And there is no counselor among them

Who, if I ask, can give an answer.

“Behold, all of them are false;

Their works are worthless,

Their molten images are wind and emptiness.

God Our Redeemer

Jesus Christ needs to be the one in whom we put our trust, not in humans or in alliances (associations) with groups or entities. Our trust should not be in our political leaders or even in the leaders within our church congregations or in church denominations. For, they are all subject to fail us, to disappoint us, and even to lie to us and to betray us. They are all a false hope of security. And, many of them are, in fact, liars and deceivers.

There are many who are saying that God will do nothing to correct the wrongs in this world, and that we will always have peace and security. Some of them even teach that nothing is required of us at all by God – no repentance, no submission to Christ and to his cross, and no obedience to God’s Word, but that we can still claim heaven as our eternal home. They paint a picture of God as a doting grandfather in the sky there to grant our every wish and desire, but this is false.

The truth of the matter is that our salvation is based off the fact that God is going to judge the people of this world and he is in the process now of judging many nations and peoples. And, those who have not believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will spend eternity in the fires of hell, and not in heaven and in eternal peace and security.

But, KNOW THIS! Belief in Jesus Christ is not just words, and it is not an emotional experience or a religion or mere intellectual assent to who he is. True faith in Jesus Christ is persuaded of God to die with Christ to sin and to be resurrected with Christ to newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. This is the essence of the gospel “good news.”

For, we will all reap what we sow. If we sow to please our flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction. But, if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life. If we walk according to the flesh, we will die in our sins, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, then we will live with Christ for eternity (See: Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 8:1-17; Lu. 9:23-25; Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

So, please know that God is a God of his Word. He will judge all of us, and what His Word says will stand. If you live to the flesh, you will die in your sins and spend eternity in hell, not in heaven, no matter whether or not you claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life. So, don’t count on eternity in heaven if you are not willing to live your life for Jesus on this earth.

Only in Him  

An Original Work / February 19, 2014

Based off Isaiah 30

Woe to those who look to man’s help;

Who turn away from Jesus Christ;

Forming an alliance not in step with God;

Making their own plans, and praying not.

Willing not to listen to truth,

They close their ears to what is right.

Pleasing words are all that they’ll hear;

Feel good messages that bring cheer.

Trust in your Lord; turn from your sin.

Put your faith now ONLY IN HIM.

Do not turn to idols. They’ll not satisfy.

Jesus will save you. That’s why He died.

Your Lord will be gracious to you.

He cares all about you, ‘tis true.

He forgives you all of your sin

When you give your life up to Him.

Oh, how truly gracious He’ll be

When you bow to Him on your knees;

Turning now from your sin; walking in his ways.

He’ll lead and guide you all of your days.

Now you will sing praises to Him.

He delivered you from your sin.

You’ll tell others now of His grace,

So they may see Christ face-to-face.

https://vimeo.com/87181019

Thursday, July 19, 2018 – Lord Jesus, help us all to take these words to heart, and for none of us to slack off or take you and your grace for granted.