10/6 Life

​Turn to Me and Be Saved, All the Ends of the Earth!
(ISAIAH 45:14-25)
 
Pause & Reflect
 

1. What has God been teaching you through last week’s message? Read the texts once more and discern what the holy Spirit is desiring to say through it.

 
14 Thus says the Lord: “The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you and be yours; they shall follow you; they shall come over in chains and bow down to you. They will plead with you, saying: ‘Surely God is in you, and there is no other, no god besides him.’” 15 Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. 16 All of them are put to shame and confounded; the makers of idols go in confusion together. 17 But Israel is saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity.
 

1. [v.14-17] *Biblical principle – In order to make a U-turn, you first need to know you are going the wrong direction. When we begin to truly know our sins, it can produce two directions – shame and withdrawal or confession and approach (faith). This is the difference between sinful guilt and godly guilt. “You shall not be put to shame… to all eternity,” says the LORD. Look off your shame, because Jesus has taken it away for all eternity. The LORD says that He will turn the heart of the King of Persia (Cyrus) to Himself by giving Cyrus vast military victories and the wealth that belongs to those ancient nations into his hands. With this, these nations will claim that God was with Cyrus and there is no other God besides Him. Then, Cyrus’ heart would turn to be moved by the God of Israel to release His people from 70 years of captivity, decreeing them to return to their homeland and even providing their needs for the long journey back home. The key here is that God moves to turn our hearts towards Him, orchestrating the events around us to do so, and all who turn to Him will never be put to shame. What shame (distress, sadness, regret, humiliation, foolish-sinful decisions/behaviors) is hindering you from turning to the LORD? What generally happens when you keep looking upon your shame and the shame in others? How can you look off shame, and what does the LORD promise for all those who do?

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. 19 I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right. 20 “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. 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.
 

1. [v.18-21] *Biblical principle – Once we know we are going the wrong direction and need to make a U-turn, the next step is to act with purpose. You now have the sole goal to find a U-turn or find a parking lot where you can make it safely. “I did not say… ‘Seek me in vain,’” says the LORD. God did not make it confusing or meaningless to seek Him. He has given us a purpose to act upon – to glorify & enjoy Him as our Creator. The LORD is not hiding from us. He did not make it hard for us to hear Him and turn around to Him. “I did not speak in secret,” says the LORD. His entire Word is before us in Scripture that speaks truth and declares what is right. We now have the divine obligation – the stewardship and clear purpose – to act on what we hear and not continue carrying on our idolatry and idolatrous prayers, “praying to a god that cannot save.” How has the LORD clearly made a way for you to seek Him in truth instead of vanity? What is the purpose He has given you to act on right now? How has our sins painted God as hidden, vain, and confusing? How are we making practical steps to walk in the Spirit purposefully, instead of demanding the Spirit to conform to our steps?

 
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.”
 

1. [v.22-25] *Biblical principle – Lastly, to complete our U-turn, we not only need to know we are going the wrong direction, or act with purpose by finding a safe U-turn area, but finally following-through with the turnaround and staying on the new road to the correct destination. “Turn to me and be saved,” says the LORD. Jesus is the new road we need to stay on. It is already paved to the very end. Keep your eyes on the road, on Jesus! When we look off shame and realign ourselves to act on His purposes, we must now follow-through with our eyes to turn and look upon the LORD. Turning towards (or looking at) the LORD is what everyone must do – all the ends of the earth – every knee and tongue – for we all have shame from our sins and fall short of His righteousness. When we turn to the LORD, we find His righteousness and strength do not put us to shame, but rather is gifted to us freely – we are justified by His grace that becomes our glory and hope. How can we follow-through to keep turning, looking, and gazing upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ instead of our own rightness? When we start to turn and look at the LORD, all the ends of the earth (all those around us) should also be influenced to look at Him too. As you turn to the LORD, how is it influencing those around you to turn to Him too, or to turn away from Him too? How can you keep your eyes on the road – on Jesus today? What makes your eyes wander from Jesus’ road? What needs follow-through in doing that U-turn, that Texas turnaround to Jesus? Where are we going halfway with Jesus, while He has gone all the way to death and back for us?

 

 
The central truth of this word was –
Simply, look at the LORD, just as the people of God simply looked at the bronze serpent to be healed! Look at Jesus through the cross and empty tomb! If you have, then know your life is making a U-turn everyday by the leading of His Spirit. Look off your shame. Look towards His purpose to grow in this new direction in creature-Creator relationship. Act on it! Follow-through to look wholly upon Him, the new road to life. Keep your eyes on the road, for His righteousness and strength in Christ is with you to the very end. Make that U-turn now!
– *How has the LORD spoken to you today through this?
 

Holy Spirit Moment
Take a moment to invite the Holy Spirit to fill you, and pray.
 
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18)
 
…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7)