TWO SIMPLE STRATAGIES FOR LIVING IN THE NEW YEAR
Isaiah 63:7-9
INTRODUCTION: A woman walked into her bathroom at home. As she did, she saw her husband weighing himself on the bathroom scales, sucking in his stomach. The woman thought to herself, "He thinks that he will weigh less by sucking in his stomach." So, the woman rather sarcastically said to her husband, "That’s not going to help." Her husband said, "Sure it will. It’s the only way I can see the numbers." Hopefully none of us have had that experience as a result of the holidays, but I fear that some of us just might.
I. WITNESS OF HIS MIGHTY WORKS vss. 7,9
Verse 7 – tell – Hebrew, make a memorial, vis keep on remembering
Kindness – KJV, lovingkindness – a merciful effort
Many good things – KJV, great goodness – overflow of prosperity
According to – urged on by, prompted to act
Compassion – literally bowels, intestines – depth of being
God acts to care for, tend to, nurture and keep His people by His very nature, by the deepest part of His existence.
Verse 9 – distress, distressed – trouble, troubled, affliction, afflicted
Angel of his presence – lit. one sent from before His face – Jesus
Saved – liberated, brought victory
Redeemed them – Hebrew, kinsman redeemer, Ruth & Boaz
Seeing and feeling the hopeless plight of His people, God sent One from His own house to liberate them from their troubles by taking them into the care of His Household as family.
Lamentations 3:19-24
Isaiah 46:3,4
Mark 5:19
II. WALK AS HIS FAITHFUL CHILDREN vs. 8
Verse 8 - Surely they are my people – statement of a visible fact, indisputable.
God claims kin, MY people, sons
Will not be false to me – literally, because they are in fact my kin,
my family, they will treat me right. A
statement of confidence, assurance, trust.
By this God is calling His people to fulfill His highest calling – to be true to Him in all that we do.
I John 2:6
Hebrews 10:23
Revelation 2:10
CONCLUSION:
