Sustained By Unrecognised Strength

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob,

all the remnant of the house of Israel,

who have been borne by me from before your birth,

carried from the womb;

even to your old age I am he,

and to gray hairs I will carry you.

I have made, and I will bear;

I will carry and will save.” [1]

“Who makes you different from anyone else?” You will no doubt recognise this question forming the Apostle’s challenge that was delivered to the Church of God in Corinth. Continuing his probe of attitudes and motives among those saints, Paul asked, “What do you have that you did not receive” [1 CORINTHIANS 4:7]? This is a serious question; and ignoring the question leads to self exaltation and self delusion. And those twin evils, when given opportunity to root in our lives, inevitably imperil our relationships both with God and with our fellow man. The litany of self praise, manifesting self-exaltation and self-delusion, which characterises modern North Americans seems ever present on our lips. “By my own strength, I have achieved all that has happened in my life. By my own abilities, I have accomplished all that has occurred in my life. With my own hands, I have acquired all that you witness.” Tragically, we sound suspiciously like Bart Simpson offering thanks: “Dear God, We pay for all this stuff ourselves; so, thanks for nothing.” [2]

We recognise this claim of self-exaltation is a lie, even though we who are followers of the Risen Lord of Glory are susceptible to seduction by its dulcimer claims. We need to be confronted again with the knowledge that all people, and especially we who are believers, are sustained by unrecognized strength. In order to explore this question more fully, let's consider the words of the erudite Judean prophet, Isaiah.

Writing in the Eighth Century B.C., the prophet was compelled to confront incipient idolatry among the professed people of God. Lured by the rising power of Chaldean armies, the people were willing to embrace even the worship of Bel and Nebo, principle gods of the Babylonians. Inspired by the Spirit of the Living God, the prophet ridicules these gods so called. Prophesying the rout of the Babylonian empire and the rise of the Medo-Persian empire, God's spokesman forces the people of God to consider a spectacle which would be played out before all the earth in an exceptionally brief period of time. These gods of wind and wisdom would present a laughable image as they are carted away on the backs of donkeys by the victorious armies of the Medes and the Persians. In contrast to these gods who need to be carried by ox and ass, God the Almighty carries His people. Which was it to be? Would the people carry their gods? Or would the True and Living God carry them?

The words recorded in the THIRD AND FOURTH VERSES of this FORTY SIXTH CHAPTER of Isaiah's prophecy, have become most meaningful and exceptionally sweet to many of the Lord’s saints throughout the ages. I have found numerous occasions when I resorted to reciting these verses, having found myself in need of this precise promise.

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob,

all the remnant of the house of Israel,

who have been borne by me from before your birth,

carried from the womb;

even to your old age I am he,

and to gray hairs I will carry you.

I have made, and I will bear;

I will carry and will save.”

[ISAIAH 46:3-4]

Though the prophet’s words served as a serious call for the people of Judah to repent, the truth presented comforts and consoles all who confess the Name of the Lord GOD even in this day. The words Isaiah penned still provide a wealth of divine wisdom available to be discovered and applied in our lives. I invite you to join me in exploring some of the exciting parameters of these terse, though timeless, thoughts inscribed by the pen of God’s powerful court prophet.

THE EVIDENCE FOR GOD’S PREDESTINATION —

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob,

all the remnant of the house of Israel,

who have been borne by me from before your birth,

carried from the womb”

[ISAIAH 46:3]

We speak of God's predestinating activity, but the more important question is whether we are able to demonstrate that divine work either from the Scriptures or from experience? From our own experience, we may look back and conclude that we did attempt to pursue God. And though we pursued Him, it seemed to us that He hid Himself forcing us to search Him out. That is our experience as we see it, and we are certain that that is what transpired. From experience, we may be convinced that it was a joyous happenstance that God and ourselves were united. Without giving much thought to the matter, we may ascribe the union to luck, sheer chance.