“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
who formed you from the womb:
“I am the Lord, who made all things,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth by myself,”
Israel continued year after year, king after king, in their sin. They knew better. They had heard the warnings of judgment but refused to repent and turn to the Lord. In this chapter, Isaiah’s audience is discouraged. As a part of God’s judgment, they had been taken into captivity by the Babylonians. The prophet gave them comfort and hope by reminding them of God’s character. As the Supreme Lord, He has power over all. As Redeemer, He can give the worthless value. And as Creator, He can make all things new.
We are all guilty and deserve the judgment of God. Just like the time I got caught and was punished, my sin carried a heavy weight of guilt. I can’t help but be overwhelmed when I shift focus from my sin to the hope found in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:7 says “ In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” Jesus our Lord, Creator, and Redeemer has it all covered.
While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following questions:
- Which piece of God’s character do you need to focus on today?