November 19 – Hear and See The Only One

“For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.” - Isaiah 64:4 (NASB)

 

Too often in order to not ‘offend’ those who believe in gods that don’t exist, gods of their own creation, even faith believer in Jesus Christ will compare non-existent gods to our God. Isaiah's words reveal to us that no one at all has ever seen a God besides the one true God. Nobody ever has perceived by the hearing of their ears or the seeing of their eyes any god besides God Almighty the Creator of the Earth and all that is upon it. These words were true in Isaiah's time nearly 2600 years ago. He declares that since the beginning there has been only one God who would respond to the needs of the human race. And during all these years since Isaiah wrote these words, there has been no other God – although many have tried to create for themselves an acceptable god. What a joy to know that we do have a God who acts on our behalf when we turn to Him. We can trust in the promise that He acts on our behalf. This is the one and only God and He is our God, our heavenly Father who is near us every day.

 

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August 22 – Listen Closely for Knowledge

 “Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge; For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, that they may be ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the Lord, I have taught you today, even you. Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, To make you know the certainty of the words of truth that you may correctly answer him who sent you? ” – Proverbs 22:17-21 (NASB)

Our longer than usual passage today is reminiscent of Prv 2:1-5; and 5:1-2. It cautions us to be alert to hear and speak the wisdom of God. It is within human nature, which is fallen and without hope apart from God, that we will tend to disregard the words of the wise and even the words we read in our Scripture.  The term in verse 20; excellent things, is literally “chief proverbs.”  These verses which make up our passage is an introductory section of exhortation. What follows are a collection of words for the wise worshiper of God. The instruction “Incline your ear” is better translated “Bow down your ear,”  Just as we might lean in and bow down to hear an elder person offer good words of advice or instruction and so that we will catch all that they have to say. Such words from God that follow and continue through Proverbs 24 are words of value and words we should heed with all diligence. If we do, there are many promised delivered to us as well as many warnings and cautions. 

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May 11 – Sighted and Hearing

“He who planted the ear, does He not hear? He who formed the eye, does He not see?”  Psalm 94:9 (NASB)

This verse might cause us to pause just a moment with the question, “He who planted the ear..?” But, this is a common use of the word to speak of creation. When God created our human ancestors in order to have fellowship with them, He gave His creatures the ability to know what is going on. Each of us was given the ability to see what is around us and to hear sounds happening around us. Not every creature sees and hears equally well and some not at all, but such circumstances were not in God's plan at the beginning. We are reminded today that the ability to see and to hear were given to us by the one who created us.  God wanted us to experience a part of what He has always experienced. God gave us the ability to see in part because He sees everything. He made us able to hear some sounds because he hears every sound. Yes, our God sees us in our needy time and he listens when we pray – that is the promise he made when he made us. Let's be thankful.  

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May 7 – Never Out of His Reach

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear.” -  Isaiah 59:1 (ESV)

Does it sometimes seem like your requests to God are not heard or perhaps not important enough for His attention? These words from the prophet Isaiah it this verse can help us remember God's ability to help His followers and His earnest willingness to help them. God gave these words to remind his people in Isaiah's time that if they did not experience God's help it was not His fault. In the next few verses we learn that it was the sin that caused God to not hear from them. God wants us to know that The Lord’s strength is more than adequate to bring deliverance but we must confess our sin that separates us from God. This is a universal truth applying to all people. God can help and nothing is so separated from God that He cannot reach it and he is able to hear when with a repentant heart we ask for help. Our God is listening and hears our call. His ear is turned in our direction waiting for us to express our prayers to Him. God will intercede for us; He can reach us and give us the help we need. 

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November 19 – One and Only

“From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.” Isaiah 64:4 (ESV) 

Isaiah's words remind us again today of the greatness and love of God and how singular He is in this universe. These words were true in Isaiah's time nearly 2600 years ago. He declares that since the beginning there has been only one God who would respond to the needs of the human race. And during all these years since Isaiah wrote these words, there has been no other God – although many have tried to create them. God’s judgmental manifestations are unique. No one has witnessed the likes of His awesome works on behalf of His own. In 1 Corinthians* Paul adapts words from this verse to speak of direct revelation of God imparted to His apostles and prophets and pertaining to mysteries hidden from mankind before the birth of the church. What a joy to know that we do have a God who acts on our behalf when we turn to Him. We can trust in the promise that He acts on our behalf. This is the one and only God and He is our God, our heavenly Father who is near us every day. 

 

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*“But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—1 Corinthians 2:9

May 9 – Always Within His Reach

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;.” Isaiah 59:1 (ESV)

Does it sometimes seem like our requests to God are not heard or perhaps not  important enough for His attention? These words from the prophet Isaiah it this verse can help us remember God's ability to help His followers and His desire to help them. God gave these words to remind his people in Isaiah's time that if they did not experience God's help it was not because he was deaf or unable to, it was not His fault. As we read the next few verses we learn that it was the sin of the people that caused God to not hear and to hide His face from them. God wants us to know that He was able to help then and He is able to help now. Nothing is so separated from God that He cannot reach it and he is able to hear when we ask for help. But we must live our lives according to God’s commandments. When we do we find our God is listening and hears our call. His ear is turned in our direction waiting for us to express our prayers to Him. God will intercede for us.

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March 6 – More than Job Ever Dreamed - Finding God in Job Part 4

“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;” - Job 42:5 (ESV)

It is one of the key lessons about Job and about us that we find in this book. It’s deep and takes time to study. Some use the book of Job as evidence that God just gives us questions and no answers. But to believe that, we need to cut out the rest of the book of Job, for that’s not how Job heard it. All his life Job had been a good man. All his life he had believed in God, but in the storm Job saw God.  If any passage in the book of Job, needs to be underlined, it is this verse: “I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you” (Job 42:5). Job sees God—and that is enough. But it isn’t enough for God. The years to come find Job with his health, family, and wealth restored. His lap is once again full of children and grandchildren. A new beginning indeed. After it was all over, it is conceivable Job would do it all again if that’s what it would take to hear God’s voice and stand in his presence. For God gave Job more than Job ever dreamed. God gave Job himself.

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The book of Job is not easy to read or to understand. When trying to grasp its truth as a whole, it seems nearly unreachable. Thanks to the daily devotional “All Up Words” by Max Lucado. Acknowledgement and thanks for some of these ideas is given to his words     https://maxlucado.com/listen/more-than-job-ever-dreamed/

October 12 – Words Lead To Life and Health

“My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body.”  - Proverbs 4:20-22  (NASB)

We are reminded with today's promise to be careful with what we think, say, and do.  We are encouraged by King Solomon, the author, to be mindful of the teaching we have in the Word of God.  We are not to become distracted and take our eyes off the principles taught here. We keep them in focus for every decision.  Like in Psalm 119:11, we keep these truths in our heart which means in our mind and our thoughts.  We will be rewarded because these words are the source of life – but only to those of us who find them through faith in God.  Having much knowledge and knowing all we can about the teaching in these words is not enough. We choose to actually accept them, apply them, and believe them as truth. Those who do find them, find life and health for their whole body.  It is about maintaining our walk of faith in God our Savior. Our reward of life and health will ultimately be fulfilled in heaven. 

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July 6 – An Ear to Hear

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”   Revelation 3:20 (NASB)

This verse from The Revelation of Jesus Christ is often used as an image that Christ is knocking on a person's heart door, asking to come in. Christ does seek to be invited into our hearts but more accurately in the context, this verse is a lesson in the manner that Christ was seeking to enter the church at Laodicea. That church claimed the name of Christ but did not have a single true believer (Read: Revelation 3:14-22).  It is a reminder of the invitation from our Lord to those who claim to be Christians but have not accepted Jesus as their true Lord and Savior.  In this verse the promise is for the church that this letter was sent to.  If one member would recognize his spiritual bankruptcy and respond in saving faith, He would enter the church.  The promises of God are given to those who are true believers and hear what the Spirit says to them.  Just claiming to be a Christian without knowing Christ as Lord and Savior is not the way to know the promises of God.  

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May 25 – Wait For It

“Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.” Isaiah 64:4  (NIV)

These words were written by Isaiah nearly 2700 years ago at a time that the people of Israel were divided into two kingdoms.  Even at that time, the people of Israel and Judah had influences around them of other so-called gods.   Isaiah declares that even in the  'ancient times' of his day, there was no other God beside the God of Israel.  There never has been and never will be.  He is assuring the people that the true and only God was He who had revealed Himself to them and was working on their behalf.  It required belief then, just as it requires belief now, to know, hear, and see God working in our lives.  When we believe in the one True God we will trust Him and we will wait for Him to act on our behalf.  The promise is the God will respond to our faith.  As we look to Him for help He does respond.  God has promised to provide all our needs today according to the riches in Christ Jesus.  Believe, exercise faith and then...wait for it.  

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May 4 – Fully Able

“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.”  Isaiah 59:1 (NIV)

Don't we all fail in our trust from time to time when it seems that God has not heard our pleas for help either for ourselves or for others?  The people to whom these words were written were having a problem getting God to help them when they needed help.  The prophet of God, Isaiah wrote these words to remind the  people that it wasn't God's fault.  We too can be helped and reminded when we are anxious for God to respond in a way we want Him to.  We can always be sure that God will hear us when we call on Him to help us in our lives. If we call on Him in true faith He will hear and He will respond in His way and time.  And, when God hears our prayers we can be assured that He is able to help us.  His arm is not too short and He hears us perfectly.  He will reach down to us and He will get involved, no matter where we are and no matter what the situation is like.  Be assured by these words today, God can and will save us and He hears all our prayers. 

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March 10 – Capable

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.”    Isaiah 59:1 (NASB)

Yesterday our verse taught us that God is our eternal light and that He keeps our light shining – that He turns our darkness into light.  Today we have a verse that describes another way that God is more than capable of keeping His promises to watch over us and care for us.  Two reasons are in this verse for why we put our trust in our God to meet our needs.  When we need God's help, He wants us to turn to him in prayer and ask for help.  We can do so with confidence of getting that help because today's promise is that God will not come up short in His action to help us.  He can save us out of any circumstances, threats, trials, or discomfort we are facing.   He also promises that when we call on Him in prayer, he hears us.  God has no problem with hearing our cry for help.  So we can trust that He will hear, He does hear and when He comes to our aid, He is fully capable.  God does not come up short in doing what He promises to do. 

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February 8 – Knowing the Deep Things of God

“But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,  nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”   2 Corinthians 2:9-10  (ESV)

The Christian life is an experience of learning truths of great eternal value.  We can learn from this verse the promise that God has prepared things for us, His children.  But no one has seen them or heard of them so how do we know what they are because they are even beyond our ability to imagine.   There is no way for us to know what God wants us to know except in the way that He has planned for us to learn it.  God has prepared great lessons for us to learn as we live our Christian lives and He has also planned how we can learn these lessons.  That's why He has given us His Holy Spirit to teach us.  Our verse calls these truth the deep things of God.  Let's be sure that we leave ourselves open to learn what the Holy Spirit wants to teach us in our experiences each day, even today.  

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We ask for your prayers as we also pray over this endeavor that it will meet the spiritual needs of those who read it.  We also welcome any encouragement on how this blog has helped you.
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December 31 – Need To Know

“But, as it is written,  “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:9-10  (ESV)

What do you see ahead for yourself in the new year?   Whatever is ahead, some of it is uncertain and some of it is unclear but most of it is unknown if we really think about it.  We may have plans that we hope to fulfill  or we may have things we fear and are anxious about.  There are some things we can be absolutely certain about even if we do not know all the details.  We know that our God will be with us everyday, every hour, every minute.  God has prepared the next year for us and our verse tells us a lot about this preparation.  For one thing God's preparation is for those who love him – that means those who have believe and received His gift of love and eternal life.  But these things are beyond our imagination no matter how much we try to figure them out.  God does reveal them to us through His Holy Spirit who abides in us.  The Spirit knows what these prepared things are and He reveals them to us as we have a need to know.  Does not this promise and truth fill our hearts with joy and peace and our mouths with praise to our God and Father?  We thank Jesus for coming so that we can be part of God's Family.  

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Happy New Year!

May 25 – No Other Heard or Seen

“Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.” Isaiah 64:4 (NIV)

In the beginning God created the universe and then He created people. Since that time people have worshiped other things and forces as if they are gods. But, they have been mistaken. No matter how they try, no one can see and no one can hear from any God besides the Creator God. There is only one true God and He is a personal God who takes a personal interest in His creation and the people He created. Our verse today teaches us that our God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. He responds to us who look to Him for help. He has declared that He is the one who helps us and He does things for us which we are unable to do for ourselves. Let's be thankful to our God for taking a personal interest in us and for taking action in our behalf when we look to Him.  Let's thank Him as the prophet Isaiah did by confessing that there is no other god that we can hear or see besides our true God.

May 11 – Seeing and Hearing

“Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?”  Psalm 94:9 (NIV)

When God created our human ancestors in order to have fellowship with them, He gave His creatures the ability to know what is going on. Each of us was given the ability to see what is around us and to hear sounds happening around us. Not not every creature sees and hears equally well and some not at all, but such circumstances were not in God's plan at the beginning. We are reminded today that the ability to see and to hear were given to us by the one who created us.  God fashioned the ear to hear and the eye to see because God wanted us to experience a part of what He has always experienced. God gave us the ability to see some things because He sees everything. He made us able to hear some sounds because he hears everything. Yes, our God sees us in our needs and he listens when we pray – that is the promise he made when he made us. Let's be thankful.  

May 3 – Hears Our Prayers Everyday

“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.” Isaiah 59:1 (NIV)

Today is a special day in the United States. It is the first Thursday of May and designated by United States Congress as the National Day of Prayer.* 

For that reason we have selected a verse from our Bible about our prayer answering God. This was recorded by the prophet Isaiah who was trying to emphasize what a great God we have by using human terminology and illustration. We realize that our God does not perform His great acts by using arms and hands such as we have. He can act is so many ways and using a great variety of means. We do not need to pray only on a special designated day, and when we pray to God, He does not need to listen to our words to get the meaning that we want to express. We can pray in our hearts silently and He knows why we are looking to Him. He responds to the faith that He can detect in our thinking. So wherever you are in this world, for today, and every day let's remember how great a God we have and how faithful He is to take care of us as he hears and responds to our prayers. 
    
* The National Day of Prayer was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. In 1988, the law was unanimously amended by both the House and the Senate and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on Thursday, May 5, 1988, designating the first Thursday of May as a day of national prayer. Every president since 1952 has signed a National Day of Prayer proclamation.
More about the National Day of Prayer for 2018.

January 26 – Enjoying the Inconceivable

“But, as it  is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” -- these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit.”  1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (ESV)

When God sent His Son into this world to live a perfect life as a human and to die on the cross for us, He wanted to remove the obstacles between us and Himself. He wanted to make us part of His family. But He had other purposes in mind too. God has a purpose for each of us. He has prepared experiences for us to enjoy and these are all beyond our ability as human beings to conceive of.  So how is God revealing His purposes to us? By the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Are we learning all that God has prepared for us to experience? This is a tremendous promise for us today. Let's open ourselves to the Holy Spirits ministry today. Let's believe in God's love today and let him lead us in the way He has prepared for us.

May 19 – Beyond Our Imagination

“However, as it is written:  “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him — these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.”  1 Corinthians 2:9-10a (NIV)

For some of you reading this today, you find this verse very familiar. That is good because recalling these truths are good for our daily walk. We need to be reminded. If today's verse is new to you, that too is good because we all need to know the power and extent of what God has done and plans to do for all who have received Jesus Christ as Savior. Our God has great plans for each of us. He has plans for each of us for this very day as well as plans for us that extend into eternity. Our God is personal and is directly involved in each of our lives. The amazing thing is that His plans are beyond anything we can imagine or conceive.  If we think of the best thing that God might have planned for us we can rest assured that his plans exceed what we have just thought of. As we go through each day of our lives, one day at a time, God reveals those plans to us through the Holy Spirit.