A promise from the Lord - he will hold us by our right hand!

ISAIAH 41 verses 10 - 20

Verse 13 “For the Lord thy God will hold they right hand saying unto thee fear not, I will help thee.”

In this little verse we have a promise from God to us, to our homes, to our families, to our communities and neighbourhoods as we go into a new year. We know not what a day will bring to us but there is one in the glory who knows the end from the beginning. God is stating his relationship with the people of Israel but he is also stating his relationship with us. Think of this verse in 2 parts - the first of a living relationship and secondly of a working relationship.

A living relationship. Israel was a forgetful nation. God had to draw alongside them and remind them of their relationship with him. Someone once said “it is possible to be diligent in a religion yet distant in our relationship.” We can be distant in our relationship - oh yes we might be in the house of God every Sunday morning and evening and that is diligence yet we are distant in our personal relationship with God. That was the problem with Israel. Israel had not only forgotten but forsaken God too. This nation of Israel has now repented and were brought back into the land of Canaan for a second time. Yes they had been captive for 70 years in Babylon because they had forsaken God. Israel remembered very well the time when they were delivered out of Egypt the first time. Do you remember the day when you realised you had sinned against the God of heaven? You may remember that day well but sadly you are not in that place of knowing God personally today. The Psalmist said “bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits.” (verse 2) Maybe we need to be reminded of that relationship today. We were bought with the blood of Jesus Christ purchased on Calvary, given as a free gift and all we have to do is come, take it, apply it to our lives. It costs us nothing but God everything. When God brought them out of Egypt and across the wilderness he gave them the assurance of his presence. That was the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of cloud by night. God gives us assurance too when we accept him as Lord and Saviour - the Holy Spirit. Moses warned them “beware lest thou forget the Lord which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 6 verse 12)

Israel was a forgiven people. God assures them of his presence. When we read the book of Judges we see this cycle clearly. The people are blessed of God, then because of that blessing they get careless, they begin to follow after gods of the land in which they were living, then the enemy comes down and because they are not in a relationship with God they cannot stand against the enemy. They go into bondage and they cry out to God who brings them a deliverer. The cycle beging again. This is a forgiven people. God had heard their cries in Babylon and allowed them to be taken captive for 70 years. Now 70 years later he is beginning to bring his people home again. Maybe that is what God is going to do in this year. The Psalmist could say with clarity in chapter 103 verse 9 “he will not always chide neither will he keep his anger for ever.” How important not to merely take for granted this last year and get into this year. “I have set the Lord before me because h is at my right hand I shall not be moved.” Confidence in the God of heaven. I have given him the place and control, set him as my security. Where is God in your life today? Today he can be in no other place because he doesn’t want to be in any other place. If he is not king of your life he is not king at all. We need to be sure. The psalmist made a definite assertion, a deliberate assertion “I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved” (Psalm 16 verse 8)

Not only forgiven and forgetful nation but Israel was a fearful nation. We need to be careful because our hearts could be gripped with fear. When we hear and see the news today we could be fearful. This was a nation who had so many fears and barriers. Remember the spies going out into the land of Canaan. Ten of them saw all the barriers and obstacles facing them. We are like those spies, fearful of what lies ahead. God had to deal with fears. Sometimes we think of fearfuless as a failure but it is only what we do with our fears that brings failure. As the children of Israel stood at the Red Sea, Pharoah has had second thoughts and followed them there. The fear of the Lord was on the people. The pillar of cloud went around them and came to the back of them. It cast a darkness to the people of Egypt and a light to the people of Israel. God said to Moses "hold up the rod" and as he did so the sea divided and people went across onto dry land. Egyptians did go after them but the sea returned and destroyed them all that day. God is fighting for you today and wants to see great things accomplished.

They were a favoured nation. Remember Mary, despised of the world yet highly favoured of the Lord. Joseph at 17 years of age was working in Potiphar’s house. He had been despised by his brothers yet favoured by God. He was put into a prison cell wrongly. The Lord was with him and took him into the very palace of Pharoah who said of him “there is none greater in this house than thee.” If only we would open up our lives to God today and ask him to take up his position of our right hand and don’t ever leave it. To place it all on the altar today, to ask God to fill us, cleanse us, to be totally surrendered to God. God is looking for a living relationship with you and I today.

The peace of God

Isaiah 26 verses 1 - 12
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” verse 3

A promise from God - not a feel good verse but from the heart of God to you personally. It is the mind that is the subject of our verse.

The mind is polluted. Matthew Henry the Bible commentator said “the mind is the acting ruling part of us.” Proverbs 4 verse 23 “keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.” When was the mind polluted? “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6 verse 5 “From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it.” Isaiah 1 verse 6 In the middle of the summer if you look at a lovely crystal flowing stream it is beautiful. Flowing down through the mountains giving life, sustaining life to so many creatures but if some way in the distance a chemical leak got into that stream it would not be long until it was polluted. That is what happened in Genesis 3. There was no flaw in the creation of God when man was created. Perhaps Satan was reminded of what he once was before he tried to exhalt himself. Satan tricked Eve into taking of the fruit then tricked her husband into also eating too. Evil and wickedness entered into this world. Man fell from the peace God had given him. Man no longer had fellowship with God. He was not contaminated with sin. Romans 8 verse 7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Man is a pleasure profit seeking thing, bears no thought for God at all, separated from God for all eternity. Romans 1 verse 21 “Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imagination and their foolish heart was darkened …Wherefore God also gave them up.” Paul writing to Titus said of the human race “even their mind and conscience is defiled.” (chapter 1 vese 15). Our minds are polluted.

The mind is blinded. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 4 “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.” Satan got man to fall from grace, to look away from God. If that was not bad enough what else does he do? Blinds our minds to the things of God. The devil doesn’t want the message or light of the gospel to shine in you that you might be saved. The glorious light of the gospel cannot shine in our hearts. Why? Because the devil is there to block it. Remember the parable of the sower. The sower scattered the seed onto the ground. The fowls of the air came down and took the seed away. If you have been saved what a tremendous responsibility we have to our family, friends, neighbours and community. Jesus came down to seek and to save that which was lost. The devil tries to take the word of God we hear in Sunday School, in youth meetings, in the Sunday morning services. Blinds us to the fact that Jesus died for us, that we can be saved if we trust him. Look at the people God saved in the Bible including Saul of Tarsus.

The mind is also hardened. Remember in Daniel chapter 5 there was a young prince called Belshazzar. He decided to hold a great feast and invited 1000 of his lords. Just as they were enjoying themselves there came the writing on the wall of a man’s hand. Daniel was brought in. He rebuked the young man for not learning the lessons from his father. Have we learned any lessons in our lifetime? God brings us certain ways to teach us things. Nebuchadnezzar had been spoken to by Daniel. At the end of his life he looked around and thought he had gained his kingdom by his own power. When his heart was lifted up his mind was hardened. This young prince was making the same mistakes - everything he had was given to him by God alone. God who gave him the ability and power now hardened his heart and mind with pride. Our minds can be hardened. Everything you have today is from God - our food, clothes, home and health all is from him.

That mind can be changed. It can be renewed. What is required? We must present ourselves to the working of the Holy Spirit. We cannot do anything of ourselves. “And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4 verse 24 The new man is presented to us but we have got to put him on too. Is there something in our hearts and minds missing - the blessing of God? It is a blockage - doesn’t allow the peace of God to flow into your heart. When the mind is changed we can centre it on God, can enjoy the peace God has for us.

The mind needs protection. Ephesians 6 verse 17 “the helmet of salvation.” Before the soldier went out had on the helmet to protect him. The helmet protects from all evil thoughts. Have we got the peace that passeth all understanding? God has promised to give us that - were our minds are stayed on him. Are we concerned today? Faithful today? Bring it to the Lord of heaven and ask him to give us peace that passeth all understanding. It is in your power to come and give your life to Christ, to surrender your all to him.