Isaiah 55:11 - God is Faithful. Are We?
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
--Isaiah 55:11 NASB
In Isaiah 55 the prophet explains to us that we cannot truly understand the mind or the methods of God. After all, we are not God. That being said, Isaiah assures us that God is faithful and He will accomplish what He determines to do. A key point is in verse eleven, the Hebrew word transliterated shalach (pronounced "shaw-LAKH"). The word means to cast away or throw away, much like a fisher would cast a net, or like a farmer would cast seeds. At the proper time, the fisher will draw in the net and the farmer will reap the harvest.
As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are instructed to bear witness to the Word of God through our words and through our actions. But to what end? We may have a general idea. We know that our goal is to lead others to God through Christ, and we know we are to further the kingdom of God. We therefore think we understand how God may use us in a given situation. But the truth is that we are not God and the way He uses us may not be the way we expect.
Of course, God may use us to reach a person directly involved in our actions--whatever we may say or do. But God may also use us to reach someone else who witnessed our actions. Or He may use us to reach someone who heard about our actions second hand or third hand.
And the immediate reaction to our use by God may not always be what we expect. The reaction we perceive might be good or it might be bad--so bad that we are offered an excellent opportunity to turn the other cheek. For that matter, we may perceive absolutely no reaction at all.
What's more, we truly don't know when our use by God will have its real and lasting affect. It could come in the moments of what we say or do, but it could also come days, weeks, months, or even years afterward.
In the end, our concern should not be how God uses us, when God uses us, or even what happens as a result of God using us. Our concern should be that we allow God to use us.
Father, I thank You for Your love. Forgive me when I presume to know exactly what You are doing. In all that You do, whatever You do, I believe You are faithful. I give myself in faith to be Your instrument. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
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--Isaiah 55:11 NASB
In Isaiah 55 the prophet explains to us that we cannot truly understand the mind or the methods of God. After all, we are not God. That being said, Isaiah assures us that God is faithful and He will accomplish what He determines to do. A key point is in verse eleven, the Hebrew word transliterated shalach (pronounced "shaw-LAKH"). The word means to cast away or throw away, much like a fisher would cast a net, or like a farmer would cast seeds. At the proper time, the fisher will draw in the net and the farmer will reap the harvest.
As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are instructed to bear witness to the Word of God through our words and through our actions. But to what end? We may have a general idea. We know that our goal is to lead others to God through Christ, and we know we are to further the kingdom of God. We therefore think we understand how God may use us in a given situation. But the truth is that we are not God and the way He uses us may not be the way we expect.
Of course, God may use us to reach a person directly involved in our actions--whatever we may say or do. But God may also use us to reach someone else who witnessed our actions. Or He may use us to reach someone who heard about our actions second hand or third hand.
And the immediate reaction to our use by God may not always be what we expect. The reaction we perceive might be good or it might be bad--so bad that we are offered an excellent opportunity to turn the other cheek. For that matter, we may perceive absolutely no reaction at all.
What's more, we truly don't know when our use by God will have its real and lasting affect. It could come in the moments of what we say or do, but it could also come days, weeks, months, or even years afterward.
In the end, our concern should not be how God uses us, when God uses us, or even what happens as a result of God using us. Our concern should be that we allow God to use us.
Father, I thank You for Your love. Forgive me when I presume to know exactly what You are doing. In all that You do, whatever You do, I believe You are faithful. I give myself in faith to be Your instrument. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
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