We are His Witnesses
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Isaiah 44:1-8
1. "But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen! 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 descendants, and my blessing on your offspring. 4. They shall spring up like grass amid waters, like willows by flowing streams. 5. This one will say, `I am the Lord's,' another will call himself by the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, `The Lord's,' and surname himself by the name of Israel." 6. Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. 7. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it, let him declare and set it forth before me. Who has announced from of old the things to come? Let them tell us what is yet to be. 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."
God establishes himself as the great provider. He supplies us with everything required to live. More than that He has been the provider for His people since Adam. He is the God of history. Wouldn’t it be logical to then assume He is the God of the present – and the future? We are chosen. That makes us very special – precious in the eyes of our Creator.
In a world hungry for something of substance and meaning to cling to, only God offers us hope. When the whole world cries out for something to believe in, God reminds us, “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.” This one, true God will make a way for us even when it seems that what we are experiencing is impossible to bear. He makes a way for us through every experience in our lives, good, bad, and everything in between – the every day, day in and day out of life. He’s there. He ordained them. He knew what was to come even before he formed us.
God also assures us we have nothing to fear in this life. He is The God, the I AM and that is all we need! He’s already arranged for us live with Him in heaven – we just need to live the best life we can live here on earth. We are to bide our time by making the most of the time. We are to declare to as many others as possible the promise and the home of this Alpha and Omega God we worship. And of the promises He makes, and will never break.
We know He can do anything He says He’ll do because He has proven it throughout history. I know of three very specific situations where He acted quite deliberately in the lives of people who had no way of knowing they were going to need to be in a certain place at a certain time. In two cases, women were led to join covenant groups. Within weeks after joining, 1 lost a brother, the other woman’s mother began to experience serious health problems. They both said they could not have made it without the support of these groups. The third is even more amazing. A family who formerly attended our church realized one Sunday morning they needed to begin attending our church again. Within weeks after their return, one of the family members was diagnosed with cancer. One year later, the individual is cancer free. Again, God led this family back to the love, support, and prayer of our congregation before they even were aware of just how very much they would need us.
Coincidences? I don’t think so! Nor do any of these three. This was God, announcing from of old the things to come. And my faith is strengthened by these examples. That’s the “bonus” in it all! God not only acts in individual lives, He uses those actions to minister to others, and to strengthen their faith.
My prayer today is that you find comfort in the God Who Is, Who Was, and Who Will Be. And that your life may be a witness to others.
Mar
