A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

Claims of God in the Prophets

"Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he." (Isaiah 41:4)

Major portions of the Old Testament prophetic writings consist of verbatim quotations from God recorded by the prophets under divine inspiration. Included are many tremendous claims made by God to encourage His people to trust Him under all circumstances, and these are all needed today as never before.

In the Book of Isaiah, for example, there are 35 "I am" statements made by the Lord. Amazingly, however, none of them are in Book 1 of Isaiah (chapters 1-39); they are all in Book 2 (chapters 40-66). The first is the text above: "I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he" (41:4).

Look at some others--all wonderful testimonies of God.

"Before the day was I am he" (43:13).

"I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions" (43:25).

"I am the LORD that maketh all things" (44:24).

"Even to your old age I am he" (46:4).

"I, even I, am he that comforteth you" (51:12).

"I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer" (60:16).

There are also 21 "I am" statements by the Lord in Jeremiah, but these all apply primarily to His dealings with the Jews of that day. Surprisingly, Ezekiel has more "I am's" than any other book. "I am the LORD" occurs 70 times in his prophecy alone. Also in Ezekiel is this testimony: "I am their inheritance: . . . I am their possession" (Ezekiel 44:28). Finally, there are 21 more "I am" assertions by God in the other, smaller prophetic books, with the last being Malachi 3:6: "For I am the LORD, I change not."

Putting several of these assertions together, we can hear Him say, "I am your Savior and Redeemer, before the day was, even to your old age, and I change not!"

[Soldier4Christ]

The Lord Our Shield

"But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head." (Psalm 3:3)

The beautiful metaphor of God as our shield, and our protector from evil, is used over 15 times in the Book of Psalms, the first being in our text above. The very first time it is used in the Bible, however, is also the first time the word "shield" itself is used. That was the time when God assured Abraham, after his battle with the armies of the northern kings: "Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield" (Genesis 15:1). This was a great comfort to Abram, there in the land of the Canaanites, where evil and enemies surrounded him on all sides.

But consider also a few of the many "shield" promises in the Book of Psalms. One of the most beautiful and most uplifting is Psalm 84:11: "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."

And consider also this wonderful promise: "As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler |same word| to all those that trust in him" (Psalm 18:30). In the same psalm appears this great testimony: "Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great" (Psalm 18:35).

Three times in Psalm 115 appears the injunction to "trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield" (Psalm 115:9-11). Similarly, "Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word" (Psalm 119:114).

The final reference in Psalms to the Lord as our shield is: "Blessed be the LORD my strength. . . . My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me" (Psalm 144:1-2).

[Soldier4Christ]

God's Infinite Universe

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9)

Since God's ways are infinite and His thoughts utterly beyond human comprehension, this verse tells us plainly that the height of the heavens is also infinite.

This means that modern relativistic cosmologies that involve a finite universe, or bounded universe, are bound to be wrong. They are all based on esoteric mathematical models, not on measurement or observation. Space is as far beyond our mathematical comprehension as is God Himself. Our minds, operating in space as they do, cannot even comprehend the idea of an end, or limit, to space. What could be beyond any supposed boundary of space, except more space?

This fact also means that speculations about the location of the center of the universe are pointless. It is impossible even to define the center of infinite space. Any point could, with equal geometric propriety, be chosen as the center, since space extends infinitely in all directions from that point!

In the eternal ages to come, however, the new earth can at least be defined as the center of God's interest in the universe. The holy city will rest on the earth, and "the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it" (Revelation 22:3).

Meanwhile, we can rejoice that such an infinite God is directly concerned with each of us. It is absurdly foolish for us to question Him, or His ways, or His thoughts. What He does is right, simply by definition! It is our great privilege simply to believe and trust His word and His ways. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! . . . For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen" (Romans 11:33-36).

[Soldier4Christ]

The Unknown Creator

"He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not." (John 1:10)

This verse is surely one of the saddest, most poignant verses in all the Word of God. In the Lord Jesus Christ, our Creator/Redeemer, "we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28). The atoms of our bodies are sustained by Him (Colossians 1:17), yet multitudes ignore Him, ridicule Him, and take His name in vain. What presumption! What foolishness!

Once He even entered visibly into the world He had created so that people actually could hear His words of life and see His works of love. But they willfully refused to acknowledge Him, and then hung Him on a cross to die.

The height of irony and the depth of foolishness are reached when those whose very minds and bodies were created by Christ refuse even to admit the fact of creation. In effect, they turn Psalm 100:3 upside down and claim: "It is not he that hath made us--it is we ourselves!" Not only do modern men deny His creation, they also reject His salvation, thinking they can save themselves.

It is important to note that John 1:10 specifically refers to the refusal of the "world" to know Him as its Creator. It was made by Him, but would not acknowledge His work of creation. How then could the world ever "receive" Him as its Savior (v. 11)? Only its Creator could ever become its Savior, since no one else in all creation was both deserving and capable of such a mission.

Even more inexcusable than those who rejected Him when He was here in the world are those who reject Him today. With all the marvelous evidences of creative design in nature as revealed by modern science, plus the unanswerable evidences of His own bodily resurrection from the dead, it is wicked foolishness for modern men and women still to reject Him as their Creator and Savior.

[Soldier4Christ]

A Special Son

"The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." (Matthew 1:1)

These opening words of the New Testament identify this "book of the generation |literally 'genesis'| of Jesus Christ" as telling of the wonderful fulfillment of the promise to both Abraham and David of a very special Son.

To Abraham, God had promised: "because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: . . . in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice" (Genesis 22:16, 18). This prophecy was directed immediately through Isaac, but focused finally on Jesus Christ, Abraham's greater Son. "Now to Abraham and his seed were promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ" (Galatians 3:16).

Similarly, a unique promise was made to David concerning his own special Son. "I will set up thy seed after thee, . . . I will be his father, and he shall be my son. . . . And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee" (2 Samuel 7:12, 14, 16). Once again, this promise applied in a precursive sense to Solomon, but ultimately to the greater Son of David, "made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, . . . by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:3-4). He was greater than Abraham, greater than David, and even "better than the angels. . . . For unto which of the angels said he at any time, . . . I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?" (Hebrews 1:4-5).

In the fullest sense, this Son was the fulfillment of the primeval promise of the coming seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15). He is the virgin's Son (Isaiah 7:14), the Son given (Isaiah 9:6), "the last Adam. . . . the Lord from heaven" (1 Corinthians 15:45, 47).

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The Dayspring from on High

"Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us." (Luke 1:78)

This is an unusual, but beautiful, name of the coming Savior given Him by Zacharias when he was "filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied" (Luke 1:67). In that same prophecy, Zacharias also called that coming one "the Highest" and "the Lord" who would "give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins" (vv. 76-77). Just six months later, Jesus was born.

The Greek word here translated "dayspring" is so translated only this one time. It refers to the metaphorical spring from which the sun springs forth each day, and so is usually translated simply as "the east." It is interesting that it is used three times in connection with the story of the wise men "from the east" who saw "his star in the east" and then, when they reached Bethlehem once again, "the star, which they saw in the east," led them to the one who was Himself "the dayspring" (Matthew 2:1-2, 9).

There is one other sunrise appropriately presaged here. Many years later the women who had tearfully watched the Lord being crucified and buried, came to His sepulcher to anoint Him with sweet spices "at the rising of the sun" (Mark 16:2) immediately after He had risen from the dead. Here a closely related word is the word translated "rising."

There is another great sunrise coming, as promised in the last chapter of the Old Testament. "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings" (Malachi 4:2). He who is Himself "the light of the world" (John 8:12) will someday even replace the sun in the new Jerusalem. There will never be another sunrise after that, for "there shall be no night there . . . neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light" (Revelation 22:5).

[Soldier4Christ]

Holy Anointing

"But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." (1 John 2:20)

The word "unction" in our text is translated "anointing" the other two times it is used (1 John 2:27). That term, and a companion word, are used only seven times in the New Testament, but all refer to the same essential concept often spoken of in the Old Testament.

Both things (tabernacle, temple, vessels, offerings) and people (priests, Levites, kings, ambassadors) were "anointed"--often ceremoniously--to identify them as consecrated or honored for a special service or position. Once anointed, the person or object was to be held in great respect by everyone.

Thus, we who are the "children of God" (Romans 8:16) have been anointed by God Himself (2 Corinthians 1:21) in such a way that the anointing abides, teaches, and is truth (1 John 2:27). This anointing is, obviously, no ceremonial oil demonstrating an honor (Psalm 133:2), but rather the "pouring out" of the Holy Spirit Himself onto and into our earthly bodies, consecrating us to be the very "temple" of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).

This "unction" further designates us to be "kings and priests" (Revelation 1:6) who will one day "reign on earth" (Revelation 5:10). We are called "lively stones" (1 Peter 2:5) being built into a spiritual house for the Lord.

Furthermore, we are to be seen as "chaste virgin|s|" (2 Corinthians 11:2) who are ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), having been set apart as a "vessel unto honor" (2 Timothy 2:21) in the "household of God" (Ephesians 2:19). We are to know all these things.

[Soldier4Christ]

Made of a Woman

"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." (Galatians 4:4)

This is a key verse related to the incarnation, and therefore to the whole plan of salvation. The promise was made in the very beginning, when God promised that the seed of the woman would bring salvation from sin and Satan (Genesis 3:15). But it would be at least four thousand years before God's "fullness of the time was come."

But, right on God's schedule, He came, miraculously conceived and born of "a |literally 'the'| virgin" (Isaiah 7:14). Paul, carefully choosing his words, says He was "made of a woman." The word rendered "made" (Greek, ginomai) is not the usual word for "born" (gennao). Paul did not say He was born of a woman, but made of a woman, evidently to emphasize that the human birth of Jesus was unique—different from all other human births. In fact, His human body had to be specially "prepared" by God (Hebrews 10:5) so that He could be born without either an inherent sin-nature or any inherited genetic defects from either parent. In order to "redeem them that were under the law" (Galatians 4:5), the Son must Himself be "without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:19).

Not only was He "made of a woman" so as to be without inherited sin, but He was "made under the law" so that He could be shown to live without committing sin. It is only through God's written law that we really know what sin is. "By the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). And we know that we cannot possibly "keep the whole law" (James 2:10).

But Christ did! Therefore, since He was "made under the law" and had come "to fulfill" the law (Matthew 5:17), He can indeed redeem every sinner who will come to Him in repentance and faith.

[Soldier4Christ]

Light in the Darkness

"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." (Isaiah 9:2)

This beautiful verse is treated in the New Testament as a Messianic prophecy, fulfilled when Christ came into the world--growing up in Nazareth and then dwelling in Capernaum--both cities being located in "Galilee of the Gentiles" (Matthew 4:15). This was in the region once occupied by the ten northern tribes, and then devastated by the invading Assyrians when they carried the Northern Kingdom away into captivity.

This region had for centuries thereafter remained in spiritual darkness, even after the return of Judah from captivity in Babylon. But then Christ came and, "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). Thus His public ministry actually began in this land of darkness. "And the light shineth in darkness . . . .the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:5, 9).

Wherever Christ comes, the light comes, for He is light. He left heaven for earth, saying: "I come to do thy will, O God" (Hebrews 10:9). This great purpose of God "is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10).

And yet, tragically, "this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved" (John 3:19-20). To those who desire light Jesus says: "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12).

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When God Became Man

"Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands." (Hebrews 2:7)

We cannot comprehend what it meant for the infinite Creator God to become finite man, even coming "in the likeness of sinful flesh" (Romans 8:3). Nevertheless, we can, and must, believe it, for "every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God" (1 John 4:3).

The Scriptures have given us a glimpse of the "emptying" that His incarnation required--the setting aside of certain outward aspects of His deity. He had been "so much better than the angels" (Hebrews 1:4), but He had to be "made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death" (Hebrews 2:9)--"put to death in the flesh" (1 Peter 3:18).

The eternal Word "was God" (John 1:1), but it was necessary that "the Word was made flesh" (John 1:14). "The world was made by Him" (John 1:10), but "the princes of this world . . . crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:.

He, "being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God" (Philippians 2:6). That is, He was not fearful of losing His deity and, therefore, did not have to cling to His divine nature and attributes as He became man. Thus, He "made himself of no reputation" (emptying Himself of the outward form of God), "and took upon him the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:7).

Yet that was only the beginning. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). He suffered hell for us, that we might enjoy heaven with Him.

Because He was willing to be so humiliated, He will one day be crowned with glory and honor. "God also hath highly exalted Him, . . . that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:9, 11).

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The Second Remnant

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea." (Isaiah 11:11)

The great prophet Isaiah lived during the time when the ten tribes of Israel were being carried into captivity by the Assyrians, and about a hundred years before his own nation of Judah would be carried into exile by the Babylonians. Yet, in one of the most remarkable prophecies of the Bible (Isaiah 44:28-45:6), Isaiah promised that his people would someday return and build Jerusalem and its temple again. Furthermore, he even named the future emperor of Persia (the nation which would succeed Assyria and Babylonia as the dominant world power), calling him Cyrus. This great king fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy about 175 years after it was given (note Ezra 1:1-4).

But Isaiah not only prophesied this first return from exile, as noted in the key verse above; he foresaw that, in the distant future, God would also "set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people." The context of this passage is nothing less than the glorious future time of Messiah's reign over all the earth (Isaiah 11:9-10). The outcasts of Israel and Judah would return home, not only from the nations of the Middle East, which will evidently be active enemies of Israel again in that future day (note that Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, and Hamath were the ancient names of the nations now identified as Upper Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, respectively), but even from "the four corners of the earth" (Isaiah 11:12). Isaiah thus predicted an even greater exile and worldwide homecoming long beyond that of the Babylonian captivity. Such information could have come only from God Himself.

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Abiding

"And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." (1 John 2:28)

There is nothing sophisticated or subtle about this Greek word, meno, used many times in the New Testament. The various shades of "remaining" or "staying" are easily understood from the context, and always focus on a consistent and even permanent situation.

So it is in our text. The Christian is expected to "stay" in a relationship with the Lord Jesus--implying both a permanent relationship and a "normal" relationship. We are to abide in Christ so completely that we would be like a branch growing out of the vine--thus making "fruit" possible (John 15:4-5). We are to continue in His Word so thoroughly that our prayers will be in synchronization with His will (John 15:7) and our behavior will be in synchronization with His commandments (1 John 3:24).

The steadfast "dwelling" in Christ promises to produce a confidence in our eternal relationship--the word choice especially emphasizes freedom in speaking, an unreservedness in speech. As Peter freely spoke at Pentecost (Acts 2:29) and the disciples received boldness to speak the Word of God (Acts 4:31), so our "plainness of speech" (2 Corinthians 3:12) in witnessing sets the stage for our "boldness in the day of judgment" (1 John 4:17).

Ultimately, of course, the lifestyle of abiding in Christ while on this earth builds the sanctified relationship with Christ that we are to enjoy for eternity.

"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise" (Hebrews 10:35-36).

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The Valley of Blessing

"And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day." (2 Chronicles 20:26)

The name Berachah means "blessing," and the people of Judah surely had much reason to bless the Lord. The armies of the Moabites and Ammonites, and many others, had invaded their land, and King Jehoshaphat had no forces sufficient to oppose them.

But Jehoshaphat had already led his people back to the Lord, and now he prayed for their deliverance, acknowledging that the Lord was "God in heaven . . . so that none is able to withstand thee." Therefore God replied, through the prophet Jahaziel, that "the battle is not yours, but God's . . . stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD" (2 Chronicles 20:6, 15, 17). God then set the invading armies against each other, until all were slain, and God's people were delivered without even lifting a sword. No wonder the people "blessed the Lord!"

The Hebrew word berachah ("blessing") is used some 68 times in the Old Testament, the first being God's promise to Abraham, when he followed the Lord: "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing" (Genesis 12:2). God's promise to Abraham has been abundantly kept though there is much more to come. We, like the people in the valley of Berachah, have much for which to bless the Lord, for we also have seen the salvation of God: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing" (Revelation 5:12).

Therefore, "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name" (Psalm 103:1).

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Proofs of the Pudding

"If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him." (1 John 2:29)

The little book of First John provides a treasure trove of "proofs" that demonstrate the reality of the invisible spiritual change brought about by the new birth. There are two emphases: proofs based on personal experience and proofs based on intellectual awareness.

Here is a short list of proofs we experience:

    * Obedience to God's commandments (1 John 2:2-5).
    * Experience of God in our lives (1 John 2:13-14).
    * Obvious "antichrists" in the world (1 John 2:18).
    * Worldly ignorance of Christianity (1 John 3:1).
    * Sinners' ignorance of righteousness (1 John 3:6).
    * Our love for fellow Christians (1 John 3:16-18).
    * The indwelling Holy Spirit (1 John 4:13).
    * Our love for godly behavior (1 John 5:2).

Here are proofs we have intellectual confidence in:

    * The Holy Spirit's anointing (1 John 2:20).
    * The holiness of Jesus Christ (1 John 2:29).
    * The Father's love for us (1 John 3:1).
    * Our eternal bodies to be like Christ (1 John 3:2).
    * Hating a brother is like murder (1 John 3:15).
    * Scripture's message of eternal life (1 John 5:13).
    * Assurance that we belong to God (1 John 5:19).
    * Assurance that Christ has come (1 John 5:20).

These evidences are primarily for the believer--that is they are intended to assure the believer's heart and mind of his security in Christ. John's list is not intended to be complete, but only to focus our thoughts on the obvious. When you count your blessings, remember these.

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The Peace of the God of Peace

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)

For generations, most of the world's people have longed for peace, but the world continues to be at war. Evolutionists attribute this to ages of violent evolutionary struggle; the Bible attributes it to sin!

But it is wonderfully possible to have real personal peace even in a world at war. This is what the Bible calls "the peace of God," and it surpasses all human understanding, because it is provided by the God of peace, for the writer continues, ". . . the God of peace shall be with you" (v. 9).

The God of peace! There are some wonderful promises associated with this beautiful name of our Lord. For example: "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly" (Romans 16:20). Also: "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

The provision of God's perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3) is specifically invoked in 2 Thessalonians 3:16: "Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means." Perhaps the greatest promise of all is implied in the concluding prayer of the book of Hebrews: "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ" (Hebrews 13:20-21).

There is only one other reference to the peace of God: "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful" (Colossians 3:15). The peace of God, from the God of peace, can rule in our hearts if we let it rule in our hearts. Then, as promised in our text, it will also keep our hearts!