HIS ABIDING FAITHFULNESS
TEXT: ISAIAH 40:1-11.
🔑KEY VERSE “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young” (ISAIAH 40:11).
The story was told of a saint who died and eventually got to heaven in spite of the turbulent Christian Life. On arrival in heaven, he engaged our Lord Jesus Christ in a conversation. He showed him in a panoramic flashback, his Christian pilgrimage on earth immediately he became born again. His Christian life was illustrated by footprints of two pairs of feet (his and Jesus Christ’s) on a sandy shore. They both traced the marks of the pairs of feet and got to a place where there was only a pair of feet instead of two; the other pair had disappeared. The man became curious.
Tracing the history of his life, he realised that that time coincided with the period he faced the greatest challenges to his Christian faith. He was dejected and wondered aloud, “My Saviour, it appears you abandoned me during the period of my greatest travail. I could see only one pair of feet,” to which Jesus Christ replied, “No, that pair of feet were not yours but mine.” “Then where was I?” he wondered. “I was carrying you in my arms” was Jesus’ reply.
The passage today is the affirmation of comfort and promise of assistance to God’s people. When Jesus Christ left the glory of the father in heaven to come to the earth, He was armed with a job description (Luke 4:18). He was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor in spirit, to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, the recovering of sight to the blind and to set at liberty those that are bruised.
Though he was gone to be with the Father, He still performs such functions to the redeemed today. And you can always be a partaker of glorious blessings if only you will dare submit to the majesty of His will.
✍THOUGHT FOR THE DAY God’s faithfulness and kindness are matchless and unsearchable.
COVER TO COVER LEVITICUS 25-27.
MEDITATION
Prophecies about the first coming of Christ
1. Divine comfort for the repentant vv1,2
Sin, hard labour/sufferings, repentance, forgiveness and comfort of the Holy Spirit void of condemnation of God is the order.
Q How is your own experience?
Pray in repentance and ask for forgiveness if assurance of forgiveness is missing in your heart
Pray for those who lack assurance of salvation in the Church that God will dig out the root cause and give them the solution
2. Prophecy about the forerunner of Christ (fulfilled!) vv3,4,5.
a. It was fulfilled by John the Baptist Matthew 3:3.
b. Repentance preached by John and manifested by the Jews paved the way for the coming of Jesus Luke 3:3-15. All flesh saw the glory/salvation of the Lord Luke 3:6.
c. For Jesus to enter the human heart, there must be preparation of the heart through hearing His word, heeding His warning and humbly surrendering to His will (repentance and faith in Christ). Salvation will be a mirage without this.
4. The deity of Jesus vv3-5, 10,11.
Observe that Jesus is being referred to as God and LORD in the prophecy.
Praise Jesus and acknowledge Him and LORD and Saviour of your life
Pray that the glory of the Lord will cover our land and Jesus will be exalted as Lord and God of the universe
5. Greatness of God vs man’s insignificance vv 6-8.
All the beauty of man is compared to the beauty of grass and flowers. They soon fade off with time.
HYMN Have you any room for Jesus
- Have you any room for Jesus,
He who bore your load of sin?
As He knocks and asks admission,
Sinner, will you let Him in?
Refrain:
Room for Jesus, King of Glory!
Hasten now, His Word obey.
Swing the heart’s door widely open;
Bid Him enter while you may.
2 Room for pleasure, room for business;
But for Christ, the Crucified,
Not a place that He can enter,
In the heart for which He died? [Refrain]
3 Room and time now give to Jesus;
Soon will pass God’s day of grace –
Soon your heart left cold and silent,
And your Savior’s pleading cease. [Refrain]
(optional choral ending)
Swing the heart’s door widely open;
Bid Him enter while you may, while you may.
