Behold Your God

Dear Readers around the world!

The text of our article this week will be Isaiah. Ch. 40:1-11.

The book of Isaiah is such a wonderful book. Many of my favorite verses are recorded in this book. I desire to list a few of these here:

1: 18 Come let us reason saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool,………

Ch. 6 Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His Glory

Ch. 12 Read all 6 verses and notice the Wells of Salvation

Ch. 53 Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? V5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, each one to our own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all!

Ch. 55 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat, yea come, buy wine and milk without money and without price

Ch. 61 The Sprit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath appointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, To proclaim the acceptable year of our Lord…….

Ch. 66: Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.

Before we go into the 40th chapter I would like to point out some interesting facts about this chapter and the book of Isaiah.

The Book of Isaiah has 66 chapters just as does the entire bible has 66 books. Also, there are 39 chapters before chapter 40, just like the Old Testament. Those first 39 chapters are written in prophecy style similar to the OT in general.

Then starting with chapter 40, Isaiah becomes the book of comfort, like the New Testament. Starting with chapter 40 there are 27 books, just like the New Testament Our God is surely a God of order!

Now when we look into chapter 40 Please READ V 1-11 and preferably the entire chapter, in Jesus name!

We will not look at this portion in an historical perspective, but rather how these verses apply to the hearts of men today.

1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Our God is a God that wants to comfort us when we need comforting. When we are in times of mourning, times of hardship, times of financial distress, times of hunger, or in some other season, God wants to comfort us! Notice the words my people, and your God. Such a God we have that He personally wants to care for us! He is our Father.

2Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. Jerusalem was the center of the church and God’s people in those days. Where is the center of Christianity today? It is the church, which is in the hearts of his people that are believing by faith in the complete redemptive work of the Lord Jesus. God wants to speak to our hearts; He wants to speak to our families, communities, and villages through His Word and through His believers.
What is this most comforting message that we should CRY out? The message is that ones sins are forgiven, sins are pardoned; forgiveness is received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins! Not only is our sin forgiven, it is forgotten! Not only is our guilt removed, the power of sin over can be removed! Sin is not only forgiven, it is forgotten and removed. There is not a more comforting message that that our sins are forgiven by and through the Name and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ!

3The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. You remember John the Baptist in each of the four gospels! He was a messenger, a crier to point the way to Jesus. We too can be messengers! We can point to Jesus! Proclaim Him loudly to all! Let them know that there is a better way, which is life in Christ Jesus. He is the Way the Truth and the Life!

4Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: God is the God of the mountains, which can be those good times in our life, and He is the God of the valleys, which are those bad times in our life. He is in control in all situations, and He can lift up and bring us down, (humble us) if that is what is needed.

5And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
6The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: 7The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. 8The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
Our God is so mighty and powerful. He created all things. He is over all and above all. We are but grass, we pass away quickly. The Word of God shall stand forever! His Word is the Eternal Truth. His Word is true, yesterday, today, and forever.

9O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
Behold your God! He is all powerful, and He is able and willing to save! Lift up your voice and proclaim him! Cry out, be a witness!

10Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 11He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
As mighty and strong as our Lord is, He is also so tender and loving. Jesus paid it all, He is the Great Shepherd. He will reach down, pick us up, and carry us when we need to be carried! Do you hear His voice? Follow the Good Shepherd. At the end of life He will carry all who believe in Him by faith all the way to our final resting place in Heaven above.

Please read verse 12, and the rest of the chapter. It shows God’s mighty power so clearly.

Dear Readers! Behold your God, and wait on HIM!

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

May God Bless your week! John