Read Isaiah Chapter 64
Faith in God doesn’t make suffering go away or easier. Pain is still pain. Faith in God helps you remember that He has a plan and a purpose. It helps you know that it is temporary. It allows you to let God work in you and transform you. It is okay to cry out to Him. He is there for you in every way. Faith lets you trust God to take care of you rather than struggling to find a way yourself. His way will likely not be the way you would choose to do things, but then He is Righteous and Perfect Love. We are not.
The people of Israel were in dire straits. They were desperate for God’s deliverance. They called out to God to make Himself known not only to them but to their enemies as well. They praised God as well for His awesome might. They remembered all he had done for them in the past to keep their faith that He would deliver them now as well. Knowing God is key to staying steadfast in your faith. That requires time getting to know Him, reading His word, listening to His words, and following Him. Additionally remember what the Lord has done for you will bolster your faith as you go through the difficult times you go through. Verse 4 reads,
“From of old no one has heard
or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
who acts for those who wait for him.”
No idol, no god, no spirit but The LORD has ever done anything to act on behalf of petitioners. There is only One True God, The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. And He acts on those who wait for Him. It doesn’t read “who helps those who help themselves.” It doesn’t read “who saves those who rescue themselves.” It reads “who acts for those who wait for Him.”
Do you wait for Him? Do you depend on Him? I have to admit that too many times I ask for God’s help and then I run around and try to take care of the problem myself. God may or may not choose to intervene when you are working on your own rescue. His solution will likely not be the same as yours. His is always better. How can your obey Him, if you haven’t listened? How can you listen if you haven’t been still and waited for Him to answer? How can you wait for Him to answer if you don’t depend on Him? The Lord gladly helps you! He happily saves you. Verse 5 reads,
“You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?”
Our sins separate us from God. Because of all the wrong in our lives, we can’t even speak to God. But our Father loves us so much and wants a relationship with us so much He sent His Son, Jesus to be our Savior. Through Jesus’ sacrifice to redeem us and restore us we are able to call out to God. And He gives us this amazing closeness with Him. His Spirit enters into us, allows us to commune with Him, speak with Him, listen to Him, obey, and believe Him. That is awesome in the truest definition of the word. I know it fills me with awe, joy, and wonder to consider that I have the ability to connect with God on a level so profound.
We can’t save ourselves. We cannot ever be good enough to be good. You can be perfect, obey every law of God, even those you have no control over such as whether you are blind, lame, deformed, or disfigured as in Leviticus 21:18, and still not save yourself. The only way to salvation is from the Father. The only way to be saved is Jesus. The only way to have faith and believe is through the Holy Spirit. Give yourself over to Him, let Him have you and see what He does. He loves, He saves and liberates, and He transforms you. Verse 8 reads,
“But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.”
There are ordeals all around you. There is suffering in your life constantly, but you can remain faithful because you know who God is and what He can do. You know that one day all God’s enemies will pay the price that Jesus already paid for you.
Faith in God doesn’t make suffering go away or easier. Pain is still pain. Faith in God helps you remember that He has a plan and a purpose. It helps you know that it is temporary. It allows you to let God work in you and transform you. It is okay to cry out to Him. He is there for you in every way. Faith lets you trust God to take care of you rather than struggling to find a way yourself. His way will likely not be the way you would choose to do things, but then He is Righteous and Perfect Love. We are not.
The people of Israel were in dire straits. They were desperate for God’s deliverance. They called out to God to make Himself known not only to them but to their enemies as well. They praised God as well for His awesome might. They remembered all he had done for them in the past to keep their faith that He would deliver them now as well. Knowing God is key to staying steadfast in your faith. That requires time getting to know Him, reading His word, listening to His words, and following Him. Additionally remember what the Lord has done for you will bolster your faith as you go through the difficult times you go through. Verse 4 reads,
“From of old no one has heard
or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
who acts for those who wait for him.”
No idol, no god, no spirit but The LORD has ever done anything to act on behalf of petitioners. There is only One True God, The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. And He acts on those who wait for Him. It doesn’t read “who helps those who help themselves.” It doesn’t read “who saves those who rescue themselves.” It reads “who acts for those who wait for Him.”
Do you wait for Him? Do you depend on Him? I have to admit that too many times I ask for God’s help and then I run around and try to take care of the problem myself. God may or may not choose to intervene when you are working on your own rescue. His solution will likely not be the same as yours. His is always better. How can your obey Him, if you haven’t listened? How can you listen if you haven’t been still and waited for Him to answer? How can you wait for Him to answer if you don’t depend on Him? The Lord gladly helps you! He happily saves you. Verse 5 reads,
“You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?”
Our sins separate us from God. Because of all the wrong in our lives, we can’t even speak to God. But our Father loves us so much and wants a relationship with us so much He sent His Son, Jesus to be our Savior. Through Jesus’ sacrifice to redeem us and restore us we are able to call out to God. And He gives us this amazing closeness with Him. His Spirit enters into us, allows us to commune with Him, speak with Him, listen to Him, obey, and believe Him. That is awesome in the truest definition of the word. I know it fills me with awe, joy, and wonder to consider that I have the ability to connect with God on a level so profound.
We can’t save ourselves. We cannot ever be good enough to be good. You can be perfect, obey every law of God, even those you have no control over such as whether you are blind, lame, deformed, or disfigured as in Leviticus 21:18, and still not save yourself. The only way to salvation is from the Father. The only way to be saved is Jesus. The only way to have faith and believe is through the Holy Spirit. Give yourself over to Him, let Him have you and see what He does. He loves, He saves and liberates, and He transforms you. Verse 8 reads,
“But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.”
There are ordeals all around you. There is suffering in your life constantly, but you can remain faithful because you know who God is and what He can do. You know that one day all God’s enemies will pay the price that Jesus already paid for you.
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