Mon.’s Devo - The Promise of a Deliverer

Read: Isaiah 41:17-43:13; Ephesians 2:1-22; Psalm 67:1-7; Proverbs 23:29-35
Isaiah was speaking to the exiles from Babylon. He predicted physical water that God will give them and spiritual water that God would bring them through his son. He challenged those that still worshipped idols to tell them the future events or to do some great miracle that they may fear their idols. He summed it up in saying that those idols were worthless and whoever chooses them were detestable.
Isaiah prophesied of a deliverer who would rise from the north. He would obtain absolute rule over the other nations . He would bring justice on the earth. None of the soothsayers or false prophets had seen this happening because God wasn’t letting them see it. But his true prophet had the message. This deliverer he was referring to was Cyrus who God would put upon his heart to go and rebuild Jerusalem. Cyrus was a type of Jesus, the ultimate deliverer who would rebuild spiritual Jerusalem in the hearts of all who called upon him. Jesus would conquer every ruler and become the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Cyrus would not come to power for another 150 years and Jesus would not come to earth for another 750 years but God has everything planned and lets us know ahead of time so we will prepare our hearts to receive what he is sending and so that we will recognize it when it comes and give God the glory.
It was the Lord who had turned them over to be plundered and it was the Lord that would restore them to glory and power. God would gather his people together again and make them a powerful nation as they are today.
In Ephesians we learn that we are no longer a slave to our sinful nature but we have been given the nature of God. Paul tells us not to forget what we once were - separated from Christ. But now we are not separated from Christ but we have been brought near to God. He is our peace and we have access to him as a son and daughter. God is building in us the temple of his Holy Spirit.
Lord, let us live overcoming victorious lives today through your grace.