ABOUT GOD

by Jeffrey Hagan
(Tacoma, WA)

Isaiah

Isaiah teaches us about God. Here are five things we discover about God in this rich and powerful Old Testament book:

1: God saves.

Isaiah 12:2, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation."

Stress, worry, fear, and a host of other things, are constantly at battle with us trying to steal our joy and our "song." At times we lose the inward battle between hope and hopelessness, but God is our salvation. We can put our trust in him, for He is worthy of it. He is our "song" because He saves us. God is an infinite source of hope, joy, peace, and salvation. We need to draw from that source every day. We need to humbly come to him, recognizing that we are incapable of affecting lasting change in our own heart and let him fill us up with what we need. He saves.

2: God redeems.

Isaiah 43:1-2, "But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you
walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."

God formed us, redeems us, calls us his, and calls us by our name. He does all of this with an everlasting love. He declares us as his, a treasured possession, his child. Our trust in Him grows as He leads us through the rivers, waters, and fires. You can trust his Word when he calls you redeemed and calls you his own. This should bring great comfort.

3: God guides.

Isaiah 40:11, "He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young."

God is our shepherd. He cares for us and gathers us to his heart. He desires relationship with us. A shepherd lives with his flock and his flock trusts him to provide green pastures and safe waters. The shepherd gathers us, especially those who are wounded or weak, and carries us. He leads us regarding how to live and where to go.

4: God comforts.

Isaiah 57:18, "I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners."

Sometimes we get so low that we feel we are beyond forgiveness and that we might as well just keep going down the road we don’t want to be on. Regret can lead us further into sin OR it can lead us into God. So often we don’t feel worthy of God’s forgiveness and comfort, but we must remember that God doesn’t treat us as we treat others. God sees what we've done, but he says he will heal our hurts and wounds anyway. God will lead us in ways that please him, not our twisted ways that continue to mess up our life, but in the ways that bring peace to our relationships with God, ourselves, and others.

5: God is trustworthy.

Isaiah 26:3-4, "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock."

Real trust is hard to come by these days, and with what's going on in the world that's not surprising. Suspicion is the theme of the day. But, sometimes we go through periods where trusting God can be difficult as well. We must hold on to the truth He is the most trustworthy one we will ever encounter. He is constant and consistent. His love never fails, his mercy knows no end, and he faithfully pursues us. It's time to trust Him for He is the only truly trustworthy One.

Isaiah portrays an incredible picture of God’s heart. He is worthy of trust, full of revelation, and holy.  He comforts, guides, redeems, and saves. He calls us to holiness, and he provides a way for that holiness to be met through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son.