Archives - August 2008, Part 3, from www.timewithgod.blog-city.com

timewithgod.blog-city.com — August 2008

Isaiah 42 -- What God's Been Missing

In addition to what Isaiah reveals about Jesus here, there is a huge amount of space devoted to praising God as He DESERVES.I particularly liked verses 8-9:  "I am the Lord.  That is My name.  I WILL NOT give My glory to another;

In addition to what Isaiah reveals about Jesus here, there is a huge amount of space devoted to praising God as He DESERVES.

I particularly liked verses 8-9:  "I am the Lord.  That is My name.  I WILL NOT give My glory to another; I WILL NOT let idols take the praise that should be MINE.  The things I said would happen have happened, and now I tell you about new things.  Before those things happen, I tell YOU  about them."

I remember a time, before I was able to grasp the greatness of God (in whatever way He has now allowed me to grasp it) wondering if this "need" for praise by Him must surely indicate some weakness on His part, for we would certainly understand it as such in a man.

But as I studied more and God grew me in my faith, it became so apparent to me that God's desire for praise is not based at all on any weakness.  Instead, He is so all-mighty that He is absolutely WORTHY of it.  He created all things, and creation is made to respond to its Creator.  For instance, verse 10 directs the animals who live in the seas to praise Him.  That implies that they have the capacity to praise Him.

Yet man's sin fundamentally changed creation, and where every created thing -- every rock, every animal, and even every plant -- was given the ability to praise Him, God's curse on the land due to our sin has up to this point prevented them from expressing praise to Him.  We'll have to await "the new heaven and the new earth" to see the curse lifted and marvel as rocks cry out and mountains dance before their Creator.  What a sight that will be!  And seeing all that, we will be drawn to do for all time what we were meant to do -- praise Him ourselves.

Father, the damage done by our sin is incalculable.  How it caused the earth and everything on it to be stifled in its worship of You!  Yet the largest loss was what You bore -- not just the millennia of praise that would have been given, but also the death of Your Son for our sins.  Please forgive us for what we've robbed You of, Father.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Published: Friday, 29 August 2008