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Isaiah 33:1 NASB
Woe to you, O destroyer,
While you were not destroyed;
And he who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him.
As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed;
As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will deal treacherously with you.
The Destroyer
Who is the destroyer? He is Satan. He is the one behind all destruction of human life. He is the one behind human beings who destroy human lives.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Eph. 6:12
Although God will certainly destroy physical human beings’ lives, in the sense of putting them to death in judgment, because their lives were already given over to the destruction of the enemy, our Lord is a giver of life to all who will put their faith and trust in Him.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Jn. 10:10
But, when our lives are under the power of Satan and sin they are being destroyed. They are being damaged, wrecked by sin, and ruined by sin’s deceitfulness. We have no hope. There is no healing for our wounded souls. We go from idol to idol trying to find satisfaction, only to keep coming up empty inside. And, it is because we are looking to be satisfied in all the wrong places. We are going after all the wrong things to make us happy.
And, if we do not turn our hearts over to Jesus Christ, in surrender to his will for our lives, we will be destroyed right along with the destroyer of life.
Isaiah 33:2 NASB
O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited for You.
Be their strength every morning,
Our salvation also in the time of distress.
He is Gracious
Our God is our deliverer from the destroyer and from destruction, though not necessarily from the destruction of our physical bodies, but of our souls. By his grace we are delivered from the power of Satan over our lives, from the pit of hell, and from slavery to sin. And, we are given new lives in Jesus Christ, free now to walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness.
All this comes about when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord (owner-master) and Savior of our lives. This faith in him is God-given faith, a gift of God’s grace to us. So, it is divinely persuaded (convinced) as to God’s righteousness and holiness and of our need to die with Christ to sin and to be resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
His grace, in fact, instructs us to say “No!” to ungodliness and worldly passions (lusts) and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return (Tit. 2:11-14).
But, this is continuous grace, for daily, by the power of His Spirit, we put sin to death, we deny self, and we take up our cross and follow Jesus Christ wherever he leads us. He gives us the strength and courage we need to resist our enemy Satan and to flee temptation and to draw near to our Lord.
He gives us the spiritual armor we need to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us. And, he counsels, guides, encourages and comforts us, too, on our journey, so that we do not lose heart or fall by the wayside. When we feel weak, he is our strength and our help. His Word teaches us the right way to go, and his Spirit within us empowers us to walk the right way.
Isaiah 33:5-6 NASB
The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
And He will be the stability of your times,
A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge;
The fear of the Lord is his treasure.
Jesus is exalted!
Satan has no power over the Lord. Satan is a defeated foe, for Jesus Christ already conquered him. He is only allowed to exist because God allows him to exist. But, his time will surely come to an end one day when our Lord comes to judge the earth and the people of this earth.
Jesus Christ, though, is Almighty and all powerful and he is completely sovereign over all things, including he is in control over all forces of evil and all kings and rulers on this earth. He even places rulers on their thrones, as well as he removes them.
So, we should never be afraid of those in positions of power in this world for they would have no power if God did not allow it. We should never fear what humans may do to us or say about us, for our God is with us, and he will carry us through everything which he allows to come into our lives.
No matter what is going on in the world around us, or what we read in the news, God is still on his throne. Amen! None of it catches him by surprise. He is well aware, and he has a plan and a purpose for it all. His will can never be thwarted. What he has promised, he will do. We can count on him, for he is completely faithful.
So, we should walk in the fear of the Lord and trust him with our world and with our circumstances. We should honor, value, esteem, respect, and obey him in all things, and walk in his ways and in his truth, and we will have peace. He will make our steps steady, even when all hell is breaking loose all around us. And, one day he will take us home to be with him forever.
Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken
Hymn lyrics by Henry F. Lyte, 1833
Music attr. to Mozart, 1831/ Arr. Hubert P. Main, 1872
Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition, all I’ve sought or hoped or known;
Yet how rich is my condition! God and heav’n are still mine own.
Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior, too;
Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like them, untrue.
And while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me, show Thy face and all is bright.
Go, then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn and pain!
In Thy service pain is pleasure; with Thy favor, loss is gain.
I have called Thee, “Abba, Father”; I have set my heart on Thee:
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, all must work for good to me.
Man may trouble and distress me, ’twill but drive me to Thy breast;
Life with trials hard may press me; heav’n will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me, while Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee.
Haste then on from grace to glory, armed by faith, and winged by prayer,
Heav’n’s eternal day’s before thee, God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
Hope soon change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.
*Copyright status is Public Domain
Tuesday, August 7, 2018, 4:24 a.m. – Thank You, Jesus, for these encouraging words.
Woe to you, O destroyer,
While you were not destroyed;
And he who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him.
As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed;
As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will deal treacherously with you.
The Destroyer
Who is the destroyer? He is Satan. He is the one behind all destruction of human life. He is the one behind human beings who destroy human lives.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Eph. 6:12
Although God will certainly destroy physical human beings’ lives, in the sense of putting them to death in judgment, because their lives were already given over to the destruction of the enemy, our Lord is a giver of life to all who will put their faith and trust in Him.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Jn. 10:10
But, when our lives are under the power of Satan and sin they are being destroyed. They are being damaged, wrecked by sin, and ruined by sin’s deceitfulness. We have no hope. There is no healing for our wounded souls. We go from idol to idol trying to find satisfaction, only to keep coming up empty inside. And, it is because we are looking to be satisfied in all the wrong places. We are going after all the wrong things to make us happy.
And, if we do not turn our hearts over to Jesus Christ, in surrender to his will for our lives, we will be destroyed right along with the destroyer of life.
Isaiah 33:2 NASB
O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited for You.
Be their strength every morning,
Our salvation also in the time of distress.
He is Gracious
Our God is our deliverer from the destroyer and from destruction, though not necessarily from the destruction of our physical bodies, but of our souls. By his grace we are delivered from the power of Satan over our lives, from the pit of hell, and from slavery to sin. And, we are given new lives in Jesus Christ, free now to walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness.
All this comes about when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord (owner-master) and Savior of our lives. This faith in him is God-given faith, a gift of God’s grace to us. So, it is divinely persuaded (convinced) as to God’s righteousness and holiness and of our need to die with Christ to sin and to be resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
His grace, in fact, instructs us to say “No!” to ungodliness and worldly passions (lusts) and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return (Tit. 2:11-14).
But, this is continuous grace, for daily, by the power of His Spirit, we put sin to death, we deny self, and we take up our cross and follow Jesus Christ wherever he leads us. He gives us the strength and courage we need to resist our enemy Satan and to flee temptation and to draw near to our Lord.
He gives us the spiritual armor we need to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us. And, he counsels, guides, encourages and comforts us, too, on our journey, so that we do not lose heart or fall by the wayside. When we feel weak, he is our strength and our help. His Word teaches us the right way to go, and his Spirit within us empowers us to walk the right way.
Isaiah 33:5-6 NASB
The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
And He will be the stability of your times,
A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge;
The fear of the Lord is his treasure.
Jesus is exalted!
Satan has no power over the Lord. Satan is a defeated foe, for Jesus Christ already conquered him. He is only allowed to exist because God allows him to exist. But, his time will surely come to an end one day when our Lord comes to judge the earth and the people of this earth.
Jesus Christ, though, is Almighty and all powerful and he is completely sovereign over all things, including he is in control over all forces of evil and all kings and rulers on this earth. He even places rulers on their thrones, as well as he removes them.
So, we should never be afraid of those in positions of power in this world for they would have no power if God did not allow it. We should never fear what humans may do to us or say about us, for our God is with us, and he will carry us through everything which he allows to come into our lives.
No matter what is going on in the world around us, or what we read in the news, God is still on his throne. Amen! None of it catches him by surprise. He is well aware, and he has a plan and a purpose for it all. His will can never be thwarted. What he has promised, he will do. We can count on him, for he is completely faithful.
So, we should walk in the fear of the Lord and trust him with our world and with our circumstances. We should honor, value, esteem, respect, and obey him in all things, and walk in his ways and in his truth, and we will have peace. He will make our steps steady, even when all hell is breaking loose all around us. And, one day he will take us home to be with him forever.
Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken
Hymn lyrics by Henry F. Lyte, 1833
Music attr. to Mozart, 1831/ Arr. Hubert P. Main, 1872
Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition, all I’ve sought or hoped or known;
Yet how rich is my condition! God and heav’n are still mine own.
Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior, too;
Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like them, untrue.
And while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me, show Thy face and all is bright.
Go, then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn and pain!
In Thy service pain is pleasure; with Thy favor, loss is gain.
I have called Thee, “Abba, Father”; I have set my heart on Thee:
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, all must work for good to me.
Man may trouble and distress me, ’twill but drive me to Thy breast;
Life with trials hard may press me; heav’n will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me, while Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee.
Haste then on from grace to glory, armed by faith, and winged by prayer,
Heav’n’s eternal day’s before thee, God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
Hope soon change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.
*Copyright status is Public Domain
Tuesday, August 7, 2018, 4:24 a.m. – Thank You, Jesus, for these encouraging words.
