Standing on the Promises

Today's Reading: Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12

So let me once again remind you all that I am not a Bible scholar...just someone trying to read the Word, make some connections, and allow God to lead me. As I was reading the verses for today, which are moving and emotional (well, almost....we all know I am not an emotional person), I kept making the connection back to yesterday's reading. I continued to think about how God really does keep his promises (DUH, I know sounds so trivial).

Let me begin by saying that if you have never read this part of Isaiah,  you should stop now and go read it. What the Bible say is MUCH more important than what I have to say. Isaiah prophesies the coming of Christ and how he will be "wounded for our transgressions" and "bruised for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:5). Isaiah tells how he Christ would die for our sins; God's ultimate purposes will be fulfilled in the death, burial, and resurrection of His son. Amazing and humbling!

One thing that really spoke to me was in verse 10 of Chapter 53, "yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him". Haven't I JUST read that somewhere? YES!!! Yesterday in Genesis 3:15 I read "it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel". In this verse God is speaking to the serpent. God promises the serpent that he would deliver the deathblow to Satan but he would also be bruised Himself. Now I don't know how many years separate Genesis and Isaiah but I do know that God kept his promise.

God promised it in Genesis, Isaiah propehesied about it and on over in the New Testament Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection fulfilled God's promise of being bruised Himself. Jesus conquered death, hell, and the grave which I would say was a pretty big blow to Satan, fulfilling another promise! We are told that Jesus will return one day and deal the final blow to Satan... but I am really getting ahead of myself here.

Today I am so thankful that God used these two little pieces of verses to remind me that he keeps his promises...he keeps his promises to Satan, he keeps his promises to the Jews, and he keeps his promises to ME!!! Jeremiah 29: 11 says, " For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end"! "An expected end" has also been translated "a future and a hope".  How exciting that God promises ME peace and hope!!!

Standing on the promises of Christ my King, through eternal ages let His praises ring!
Glory in the highest I will shout and sing; standing on the Promises of God!