Monday, April 27th, 2009

Monday, April 27th, 2009

Isaiah 43:6-7
I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.

Israel, Judah were in captivity for 70 years. Many of the prophecies in the major prophets were centered around this great event, the Babylonian captivity. This 70 years was a time of punishment, to show Israel that God should be their God, and not the foreign gods of the world that are no gods. God said that because Israel did not give the land its Sabbath rest, that He would give the land its Sabbath rest by sending them into captivity.

The Jews were scattered abroad during the captivity, to the north and to the south. Some of them were trying to live lives pleasing to God even during the captivity, and God speaks to these faithful ones of Israel and tells them that He will call them.

Here, God speaks. When God speaks He speaks with authority and power. This speaking is always effective and effectual. It is also powerful. It will perform that which He sends it to do. God speaks here to the north and to the south, and tells them to give up the people that are locked away in captivity. God commands the areas of land, whether these be kingdoms, or nations, or people groups to let His people go. He tells it to not hold back the people, but to give them. This command will not be empty or possible or not to be fulfilled. It will happen.

God tells the land to bring his children from all the far reaching places that they are, he addresses not just males, but females as well. Sons and daughters of God are called from the farthest reaches of the earth. But God does not make a call generically, the call of God is always to individuals. It is always an individual call and it is always distinct and uniquely made and planned for that individual. God calls those that He created. He calls the ones that he uniquely formed and made for the very purpose of glorifying Himself.

This call to His people out of captivity into freedom is the same call of the gospel. God calls His people individually, and He calls them in a unique way. God does a work of re-creation when He calls His people. He changes their hearts of stone to hearts of flesh. He calls us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light for the purpose of glorifying His name, and providing honor to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today, I will meditate on the fact that Jesus Christ, while He was on the cross, actually thought about me, had me in mind particularly, and when it was my time to be born, He planned all that would come to pass to bring me to Himself. When the time of my re-birth to happen, Jesus Christ sent His Holy Spirit, and remade me. Now, I eat the body of Jesus Christ and drink His blood, for He is the Bread of Life that can fulfill my hunger pains, and He is the Living Water that can quench my thirst. The Lord Jesus Christ knew me! The Lord Jesus Christ thought about me! The Lord Jesus Christ died for me! What a wondrous thought this is, which is one that should carry me through the day.

Oh Father in heaven, I thank you for your power, for your goodness, for your justice, for your love, for your compassion that you show in this world and in the heavens. Lord, your kingdom is great and powerful, you are mighty and holy, yet you cared about me. Amazing love, how can it be that you my God should die for me! Thank you for Jesus Christ, thank you for the cross. Forgive me for my sins of arrogance and pride. Forgive me for forgetting about you so often and living for myself. May my heart be renewed, may my mind be transformed, and may you receive all the glory in my life today. In Christ, Amen.