HE IS THE FIRST AND THE LAST! Click and read more.

Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel my called; I am he; I am the first, I am also the last. Mine hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand had spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand together. (Isaiah 48:12-13)

I sometimes pause to ponder upon the choice of words when I read certain verses. Is it not amazing that as mighty as our God is He takes time to speak to us convincingly? God is truly a loving Father. He starts this verse with the request that we His children should listen to Him. He presents himself in a loving tone. He declares that Jacob and Israel are His called. What a beautiful description of our position in Him by extension. Our Lord is a good communicator. He knows our frailty and always makes sure that He reassures us of our position in Him. I speak to you that read, God declares that you and I are His called.

It is really worthy to note that the beginning part of the verse shows our God as one that has good manners and also a beautiful way with words. We should glean a lesson from that. Some people you come across just have a way of starting conversation on a wrong footing. They lack knowledge of the art of conversation. The verse continues by the Lord emphasizing His attributes. “I am he; I am the first, I am also the last.” God is the first. That clearly tells us that nothing or no one can boast of being before Him. Let me also add that it implies that no challenging situation that He cannot handle has ever existed before Him. He says He is also the last. That also implies that no matter has ability to end after Him. Our God has the final say in everything.

“Mine hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand had spanned the heavens:” It is God that laid the foundation of the earth with His own hands. Pause for a while and look around you. If you had the opportunity to study geography while in secondary school you will agree with me that the evidence that God is awesome is undeniable. Is it the existence of the Ox bow Lake? Or is the mountains? Need I mention the Grand Canyon or the Niagara Falls or the metamorphosis of rocks? Truly the list is endless. His right hand spanned the heavens. In Him lies the continuity of the heavens.  If the God we serve is the One that laid the foundation of the earth then laying the right foundation for our victory and elevation is certainly not an issue. Hallelujah!

“When I call unto them, they stand together.” It is only natural that the Maker is the Master and that the Master is also the Controller. The Lord is totally in control of His creation. He says emphatically, “When I call unto them, they stand together.” The Lord is in control and I am truly excited about that. Maintain the relationship you have with the Lord. Study His word to know His mind. Speak to Him in prayer and He will call every mountain-like situation to order. He will call unto them and surely they will stand fast in Jesus name. 

Dear Lord give us grace to always call on you and keep our eyes focused on you in Jesus name.

HE WANTS TO LEAD THE WAY. Click and read.

 

 

Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; which lead thee by the way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hast hearkened to my commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof, his name should not be cut off nor destroyed before me. (Isaiah 48:17-19)

Every relationship has guide lines that helps it flourish. Our God also follows the same approach and never hesitates to tell us his plans and how He wants us to walk with Him. Today the Lord has more to say to us as we walk with Him.  The Lord is our Redeemer. He redeemed us when Jesus died on the cross. He is also the Holy One of Israel. Our God is holy and will not reduce His standard just to please us.

“Which lead thee by the way that thou shouldest go”. Because he is our Lord and expresses Lordship over our lives, it is expected that He will be the one to direct us through life. His primary concern is your safety and fulfillment. He is light that illuminates. He is the beginning and the end. That means that in our journey through life, the Lord knows where we will encounter sharp bends, he knows when there is a dead end, he knows where there is a T-junction or where there will be a zebra crossing. Life has detours at some point and it is important that we tag on to the One who knows the way. I am grateful that our God knows it all.

“O that thou hast hearkened to my commandments!”This is the Lord speaking. He knows our human nature where because we think we suddenly know how God operates decide to run the show of our lives ourselves. His word is the commandment. It is the manual for operating through life. If we will hearken (pay close attention and do as we are told) to His word, things will work out right for us.

“Then had thy peace been as a river”When you are doing something according to plan, you are relaxed because you have foreknowledge of what the outcome should be, you will be relaxed. A river is a body of water surrounded by land so in essence, as long as we follow the Lord, we are surrounded by His presence that gives peace of mind. “And thy righteousness as the waves of the sea”.Obedience puts us in right standing all the way. Waves have height and are visible.

“Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof, his name should not be cut off nor destroyed before me”. Our obedience to the Lord ensures continuity. Our children and all around us and our name will not be cut off. What a beautiful assurance we have in God.

WHO HAS A MIGHTY HAND LIKE OUR GOD? Click and read.

O Lord God of Hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? Or to thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them. Thou has a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. (Psalm 89:8-9, 13)

Boasting is really not one of my strong points but on this occasion I recommend we take a jolly boasting ride. The verses we will be looking at today are nothing short of amazing. It starts with a declaration and an affirmation of who is being praised. “O Lord God of Hosts! Wow that is what He is. He is Lord. He is God of any being you can think of. He made all things and controls all things. I join in asking the question. 

“Who is a strong Lord like our Almighty? Who can you seemingly compare our Lord to? I know the answer is an emphatic nobody. Hallelujah to that! Let me ask you, who can create a life like our Lord? Who is he that sits enthroned above the circle of the earth? Who can say like our God that heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool? Who is He that can match His majesty? Can you manage to create a little finger talk more of creating a full human being? Who can boast of having a pinch of His strength? Hmm! No one can.

“Or to thy faithfulness round about thee?” God is the embodiment of faithfulness. Faithfulness is an attribute that many struggle to claim that they possess. People can disappoint at any time whether they planned it or not. For instance, appointments can be cancelled! Promises are sometimes broken and many other scenarios but nobody can beat our God on the subject of faithfulness. His faithfulness is evident from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same. He put the sun in the sky and also the moon that regulates the tides. I don’t know about you but I’m already dancing around because I know who I believe in and I am more than persuaded.

“Thou rulest the raging sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them”. The Lord rules the raging sea. Who has better rule over the sea than the One who made the seas and the oceans? He is the same Lord that spoke to the tempest when the disciples found themselves in the boat. He is the One that can say “Peace be still” and it will stand. Today we can access victory continually when we use His beautiful name. At the mention of the name of Jesus situations turn around in our favour.  I am excited that I have access to that name. There are times in our lives that there are representative raging seas. I want to assure you today that you can call on the Lord and He will indeed calm every raging sea in your life and He will be glorified.

“Thou has a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.” I think you need to take out time to say it out loud and let it sink in. Our God has a mighty arm. He has a strong hand. His right hand is above. That means the position of His hand superceeds all others. Please walk around with this confidence in Jesus name. It is well with you. Let no challenge intimidate you again because you know who is with you.

A REFUGE FOR THE OPPRESSED. Click and read more.

 

 

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9)

The Lord cares for all His children. He cares for you that are reading and he also cares for me. The Lord keeps an eye on all things and all people. He watches out for whatever state we may find ourselves. Our God ministers judgement to the people in uprightness.

A refuge is a defined as a place, person or thing that provides shelter or protection for something.

To be oppressed means to be treated in an unfair way and not given the same freedom, rights etc. as other people.

So put in another way God is saying He will be a refuge to you who finds yourself being treated unfairly or denied certain privileges. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you feel you have been denied what is due to you or are you currently battling with unfair treatment from any quarters? The Lord will be your protection. When one is oppressed, you feel left out, you feel like your world is caving in but the Lord is right there to shield and comfort you in that season. Whether it is at the office or neighborhood or family, the Lord is still Omnipresent.

Our God is Almighty. His majesty fills the heavens and the earth. In His majesty He still cares enough to pay attention to what you are going through. Nothing feels better than knowing who is backing you up. Life will sometimes have down times; challenging situations or confrontations that leave you mesmerized but in that state; rest assured that the Lord has got your back. Unfair treatment springs up from time to time. It could be in a gathering or in your office where certain people who you qualify better than are given privileges or promotions that you deserve.

The Lord also declares in this verse that He will also be a refuge in times of trouble. Trouble is defined as a problem, worry or difficulty etc. or a situation that causes it. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord will deliver him out of them all.

We encounter problems, worry or difficulty along life’s way. Jehovah Shammah will be there. He will be your Jehovah Nissi- The Lord our Banner. No weapon fashioned against you shall prosper. 

When you pass through situations that look like you passing through fire, it will not burn you. When you pass through ocean-like situations, it will not overflow you. Our God cares so much for His children.

THE LORD WILL HELP YOU! Click and read more.

 

For I the Lord will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer, the holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 41:13-14)

How would you feel if you got a phone call from the organization of your dreams and it is the MD himself calling you to congratulate you and assure you that you have his support on the job? First you would be speechless, then you’d be excited and finally you’d be confident. Well, that is exactly the scenario in the verses we will cruise through.

The Lord Almighty begins the verse with an emphasis on His modus operandi. “For I the Lord will hold thy right hand”. I suddenly have a picture of the experience of holding my sons while we walk the road to church. We will always be the Lord’s children and as His children He takes our matter personal. Like your child clings closely to you as you hold him or her on the way and trusts you enough that no harm will come near, so also the Lord wants us to do same. God says, “Fear not”.

“Fear not”. The Lord himself says you should make a conscious effort to instruct the inner you to adopt a fearless state. You may say that it is not easy but the One instructing you is your Maker – the same One that says you are made in His image and created after His likeness. He is well aware of the deposits and the nature has imputed upon us. 

Notice He says we should not fear. It is an instruction. It is an assignment that only you can consciously carry out. Nobody will do it on your behalf. If you don’t work on handling your inner fears over time, it creeps out at unexpected times and sometimes can embarrass you.   

“I will help thee”. This declaration appears twice and in succession. Remember repetition is a matter of emphasis. The Lord knows our frailties as we go through life. 

“Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel”. A worm does not have a skeletal structure that enables it have structure nor does it have capacity to leave the ground. Wow! It shows that our structure is dependent on the Lord. The fact that the worm lacks capacity to leave the ground typifies our limitation in our human endeavors. Remember except the Lord builds a house, the builders build in vain.

 
“I the Lord will hold thy right hand”. Our right hand is our hand of strength. It is the hand used for accomplishment. The Lord knows you will need Him to get to the desired destination. He has decided to hold you and I by the right hand, your right hand speaks of guidance. 

Get excited people! Jump if you can! Shout Hallelujah! 

We have A SPECIAL HEAVENLY ESCORT AS WE GO THROUGH LIFE! He is our Redeemer (the One that restores what was lost) and the Holy One of Israel (He does not compromise His standard in order to achieve His ultimate desire for us all). 
I feel privileged to have Him as my Father. So no matter what my eyes see now I will go through knowing who holds my right hand.