Christian Faith
9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.
12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him
and make his footsteps a way.
6 that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form light and create darkness;
I make well-being and create calamity;
I am the Lord, who does all these things.
8 “Shower, O heavens, from above,
and let the clouds rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit;
let the earth cause them both to sprout;
I the Lord have created it.
18 For thus says the Lord,
who created the heavens
(he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
(he established it;
he did not create it empty,
he formed it to be inhabited!):
“I am the Lord, and there is no other.
21 Declare and present your case;
let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none besides me.
22 “Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.’
24 “Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me,
are righteousness and strength;
to him shall come and be ashamed
all who were incensed against him.
25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
shall be justified and shall glory.”
“I am the Lord, there is no other” (Isaiah 45:6).
There are some who would think that this sounds a bit arrogant of God. Or at least a little boastful.
But God isn’t looking to sing his own praises or pat himself on the back for being so great. Rather, these affirmations of the Lord’s greatness are meant to form the solid foundation for our own faith and trust in him. He tells us about himself so frequently because he wants us to know how trustworthy, how faithful, how reliable he is.
We all have many different ideas about God – some good, some not so good. So God wants to teach us what is right and wrong about these ideas. Mainly, he wants us to know that we need to give him a place of honor in our lives. We need to put him before everything else.
Today’s Scripture passage emphasizes the sovereignty and might of God. He is “the creator of the heavens, the designer and maker of the earth” (Isaiah 45:18). There is no other God; to him every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall acknowledge his power (45:23). This is the God we worship. This is the God who has praised to save us!
What could be better than to spend time reflecting on who God is? What could be a better way to strengthen the foundation of your faith? Take time in your prayer today to ponder the Scripture passages below – verses that proclaim God’s sovereignty and power: “There is no Holy One like the Lord; there is no Rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2). “You are great and do wondrous deeds; and you alone are God” (Psalm 86:10). “No one is like you, O Lord, great are you, great and mighty is your name” (Jeremiah 10:6). “To whom can you liken God? With what equal can you confront him?” (Isaiah 40:18).
Let these passages help you recall God’s faithfulness and mercy. Let them be a springboard to help you think about the marvelous things you’ve seen him do for you or a loved one. The more you know about the Lord, the easier it will be to trust him with your whole life!
Lord God, you are sovereign; indeed, there is none to compare with you in your greatness and mercy! I surrender my life to you. Amen.
wau
