Tag: promises of God

All Things New!

Isaiah 64-66


The final chapters of Isaiah turn from sin and exile to a glorious, eternal promise: God will make all things new! These chapters are echoed through the New Testament and Revelation, pointing to the coming Kingdom of God!

Isaiah 64:1 begins with the longing: “Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down!” It’s the heart-cry of a people who’ve seen the brokenness of the world and long for God’s presence to change everything. Isaiah confesses sin, but he also appeals to God’s nature as Father and Redeemer. The coming Kingdom won’t just be a fix for the troubles of this world, but it will be a family reunion, where God will triumphantly restore His children!

In Isaiah 65, God answers the cry of his people with staggering promises. He speaks of new heavens and a new earth, a place of peace, joy, and justice. No more weeping. Long lives. Fruitful labor. Harmony between creation and Creator. This is not merely symbolic, it’s a literal vision of what God is preparing for those who love Him! Revelation 21 goes into further detail of the hope we have in the promise of His coming Kingdom.

Isaiah 66 is both sobering and glorious. God will come in fire and judgment against all pride, hypocrisy, and idolatry. He will also gather nations, comfort His people like a mother comforts her child, and establish global worship that never ends. All flesh will bow before Him, and His Kingdom will endure forever.

Isaiah 64-66 reminds us that this world is not the end of the story. The brokenness we see now will be consumed by the glory to come. God’s future Kingdom is not just about future perfection – it’s a living hope that shapes how we live today. Every word and act of faith and love is a preview of the Kingdom that will be revealed. Like Isaiah, we cry out for God to “rend the heavens”- establishing his eternal Kingdom on earth.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for the promise of a new heaven and a new earth! Thank You that Your Kingdom will come and Your will be done – perfectly, eternally, and joyfully. Help me to live today with eternity in view, to be faithful, and to carry Your light as I wait for Your glory to be revealed. Come quickly, Lord Jesus – Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Do you recognize God as the potter, and yourself as the clay? How do you demonstrate this and acknowledge your dependence on Him?

• What part of God’s future Kingdom gives you the most hope right now?

• How does knowing the end of the story change how you face today’s challenges?

-Beth Osborn

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Transcendental Wisdom

Old Testament: Job 9 & 10

Poetry: Psalm 35

New Testament: John 15

I have never been mechanically minded.  I really don’t have a clue how engines or electronics work.  I know gas goes into a car and electricity goes to a TV, but I don’t really know what happens after that.  Inevitably, as a lower middle class family, something is bound to stop, break, and make a questionable noise. In these moments, I really don’t have a clue on where to begin. Thankfully, I live in the information age.  Some saints out there have encountered the same problem and recorded a video of him/herself repairing it.  Time and time again, I follow their instructions step by step, and, with a pretty good success rate, I make the repair without truly understanding every element along the way.

“He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.” – Job 9:10

“How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him? Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy.” – Job 9:14-15

God makes it clear that we neither have the capacity nor the clearance to know all the inner workings of what is to come.  Job comes to this realization turned revelation that he isn’t, nor can he be, on the same level as God.  God not only created the universe and its governances, but also actively works in it, ordaining His will upon man. His work is endless, infinite, and interconnected through the story of salvation. So when we are faced with trials, decisions, and repair, He alone is the expert that we turn to.  Through His scriptures or through petition in prayer, God offers insight into a wisdom that transcends all others.If we want to know more, we, the branches, must stay connected to the vine, Jesus Christ. He has already given us revelation in the Gospels and through John, detailing the events leading up to the return of Christ.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

“So my soul shall rejoice in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation. All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You, who rescues the afflicted from one who is too strong for him, and the afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?” – Psalm 35:9-10

Conversely, we don’t have to understand it all.  We can’t, at least not right now on this side of the Kingdom of God.  We have to follow the Fixer in faith, knowing that picking up the correct part number and knowing the specific function are less important than the repair that needs to take place in our hearts to get us back up and running.  In Psalm 35, David demonstrates this to us by calling upon the promises of God to sustain him and defeat his enemy.  He doesn’t ask to know how to move the pieces, He only wants to know the Mover better.

He knows what is on the other side of the mountain, therefore the steps He chooses for us lead us to His Kingdom. If we never received a new revelation and if God never revealed His specific will for us, we already have access to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, alongside the prescription to live a life for Him. This is eternal, transcendental wisdom, and thank you God for revealing it to us.

-Aaron Winner

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you spend enough time contemplating the majesty and greatness of God? What wonders and miracles can you thank Him for today?
  2. How often do you try to raise yourself to God’s level – or lower God to yours? What are the dangers of each?
  3. What wisdom has God already shared with you and how? What is currently beyond your capacity and clearance? Praise God for being who He alone is.
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He Will

Zechariah 10

Monday, November 14, 2022

Think about a time in your life when you felt that you were further from God than you have ever been. Whether you were allowing yourself to be distanced from the Church or you were going about life with God not near as high as he should be on your priorities.

At the time that Zechariah is prophesying to the Jews, the people of Israel were still scattered, the Babylonian conquest had devastated the land, and there seemed to be more and more tribulations building up for them. The Israelites probably felt abandoned and very far from God. Yet, Zechariah was giving a message of hope. 

In Zechariah 10:1, he opens up with: “Ask for rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain – The Lord who makes the storm winds; And He will give them showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each person.” He is reminding the people that God is unimaginably powerful, and can and will provide for them in their needs. The emphasis on the difference between asking for “rain” and receiving “showers of rain” shows the abundance that may be granted to those that follow closely with God, even through these tribulations. 

The chapter then goes on to describe the idols and corrupt leaders who will try to stray the Israelites away from the path of righteousness. Again, Zechariah prophesies that God will strengthen the house of Judah, will save the house of Joseph, and will bring them back. As the people are scattered, and go through tribulation before then, in His name they will be strengthened in the Lord.

Although our troubles may not be as great as the Jews were facing back in the times of Zechariah, surely we can identify some idols and false leaders in our lives. Idols were magnified as a topic in FUEL 2022, but one thing that we know is that idols can take many shapes and sizes. Furthermore, false leaders can magnify the effects of idols or faulty ideologies if we allow them to. Doing so can lead us to a path where we can end up very far from God, and such a path leads to devastation. However, no matter how far removed we may feel from God, He will have compassion and will always answer us. That seems to be the most powerful message that is being given in Zechariah 10: the continual usage of the modal verb “will” tells us that God is someone who is always present and will deliver on his promises. So then, we must continually pray and keep God in our hearts so that we may traverse our tribulations with righteous resolve.

-Colby Leggitt

Hello, my name is Colby Leggitt. I am currently a Junior at the University of Arkansas and am currently triple majoring in Physics (Computational), Mathematics, and Political Science with a minor in Education. I attend McGintyTown Church of God, and I adore the COG community!

Reflection Questions

  1. What are some idols in your life if you have any? How can you put God first?
  2. What do you think about the prophecy being fulfilled of Israel coming back together? Is the current state of the world truly a sign of end times?
  3. How have you seen God give showers when He was only asked for rain?
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Trust

Proverbs 3

Sunday, July 17, 2022

There are so many great nuggets in Proverbs 3, each of which could have a devotion centered on it.  Some of these include:

  • Proverbs 3:3, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you…”
  • Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”
  • Proverbs 3:9, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.”
  • Proverbs 3:11-12, “.. do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”
  • Proverbs 3:27, “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.”
  • Proverbs 3:33, “The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.”

Today, I’d like to focus on Proverbs 3:5-6.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

It’s easy to praise and thank God when things are going well.  And when life is sailing along smoothly, its hard to even think about having to trust in (rely on) God.  But when times get rough, that’s when the rubber meets the road for our faith.

So what does it mean to trust in God when you face financial hardships?  When you’ve lost a loved one?   When you face serious health problems?  When life seems to just stink? When you’re dying?

1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

I know from personal experience that it is easy to, “Cast my anxiety on Him” by crying out to God, telling him all my problems, asking Him to solve them, and asking Him to give me peace.  I also know it’s hard to not pick up those problems again and try to shoulder them myself.

In other words, this passage is easy to acknowledge as right, but very hard to really put into practice.

Jesus passed along some wisdom about how to accomplish this in Matthew 6:24-34.  This section starts with Jesus telling us not to worry about our lives, what we’re going to eat, or wear, or anything else.  And the reason he gave was:  God knows what you need, and will take care of you.  Instead, Jesus gave us something else to focus on in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

So the trick to not focusing on our problems is to instead focus on God’s promises.  In Revelation 21:4, we’re told that in the Kingdom of God, God himself ‘… will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Think about the Kingdom of God and the conditions there.  Obsess over it.  Long for it.  Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and then live your life in such a way as to be in God’s kingdom.

I have learned from personal experience that the closer we draw to God during our tough times, the more he seems to lift us up and help us through – in situations where it seems we couldn’t have gotten through on our own.

And while we’re talking about problems, have you ever thought that God may allow problems in our lives to help us focus more on Him and his kingdom?  Romans 8:22-23 says,” We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.”

So, while you’re experiencing loss and pain, focus on God and on his kingdom.  Long for it.  Draw close to God.  In doing this, you will learn to trust in the Lord with all your heart.  And then He will direct your life.

–Steve Mattison

Application Questions

  1. How has God shown Himself to be trustworthy so far – in the Bible? In the lives of people you know? In your own life?
  2. How does remembering God’s promises help get you through tough times?
  3. What does it mean to you to not have to rely on your own understanding?
  4. Would you like to be known as a person who puts their trust in God? How can you work towards increasing your trust in God?
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