July 23
Isaiah 40:1-44:5
There is only one vessel that brings us to the shores of heaven, sailing past the lake of fire which awaits those who choose not to board that vessel. That vessel is Jesus Christ, who came to earth, paid for our sins, and carries us safely to heaven. Every other philosophy, "ism", belief, anything else that you place your trust in outside of Him, will disqualify you from boarding this vessel and to safety. If I may be honest, I despise the theory of evolution, for it denies the Creator who created everything with purpose and replaces it with randomness and purposeless theories, minimizing the complexity of His creation. I despise the theory of climate change, as it seeks to place man in the driver's seat, rather than our Sovereign God Who is not fretting over our environment. It is sad when people, especially Christians place their hope in politicians or political movements, since these are simply people, vessels, whom God can either choose to work through or not. So strong is the trust in certain leaders that many ignore godless qualities and stances, raising these individuals beyond where they belong. It is about Him and Him only, as we read in Ephesians 1:19-22 (NLT), "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church."
Read these truths from the words of Isaiah, as we read in Isaiah 40:8, "The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever." God's Word, the Bible, is timeless, never changes, and is as relevant today as it was when it was first written. Placing our eyes on Jesus, our Good Shepherd, we read in 40:11, "He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom,...". This is why we place our trust in Jesus and God's Word. Consider the alternative in 40:15-17, "Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing...All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless." As Creator we read of God in 40:22, 26, "It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in...Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who bring out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing." You simply can’t miss God in His creation if you have eyes to see.
What is it that you trust in? What are you placing your full weight behind? God doesn't share. It is either in God or something or someone else. Everyone and everything else can only satisfy to a point with their false promises, and false facts. Place your full weight on our Heavenly Father, our Creator, and on His Son, Jesus Christ, Who paid our ransom, and experience what He offers those who choose Him in Isaiah 40:31, "But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: