Welcome back. There are more Scriptures that were meant for this days readings. For instance, Isaiah 41:10 is today’s verse of the day on biblegateway.com and Romans 8:12-25 is on the lectionary for today. Let’s walk through them and see what we can discover. I know it’s all going to bless us immensely.
Isaiah 41:10 (Amplified Bible)
‘Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].’
Normally I don’t have the AMP pulled up but today I just happened to and wow do those bracketed words ever add something to this reading.
What are we to fear? Nothing. Why? He is with us.
Do not be afraid, because He is your God.
He is your God, right?
‘I, the Lord—the first, and with the last [existing before history began, the ever-present, unchanging God]—I am He.’
(Isaiah 41:4)
He will strengthen us, be assured He will help us; He will take hold of us with his righteous right hand.
Do you see where He says “with the last” in verse 4?
If this is God the Father talking, who is He with?
Revelation 22:12-13 AMP
“Behold, I (Jesus) am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to the merit of his deeds (earthly works, faithfulness). I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End [the Eternal One].”
This is why it’s so hard to distinguish between the Father and Jesus, the Son. They are so close to being one and as two facets of the trinity they are even closer than one. How does Jesus describe this? It’s in John 10:38 pretty explicitly.
“But if I am doing them, even if you do not believe Me or have faith in Me, [at least] believe the works [that I do—admit that they are the works of God], so that you may know and keep on knowing [clearly—without any doubt] that the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father [that is, I am One with Him].”
Explicit but still hard to distinguish. So take it on faith. Do not fear, Jesus is with you. Do not be afraid. God is always watching over and protecting you. He knows exactly when you need help and He will always provide it. And to prove it, He has sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of us.
If the Holy Spirit lives in you, you belong to God the Father, you’re His child and as such, you should act like it. This is today’s reading from Romans.
Romans 8:12-13 NIV
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
Romans 8:14 AMP
For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Romans 8:15-17 NIV
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
I like how the AMP has “allowing themselves” in italics. That’s how you live by the Spirit. It takes prayer and listening and denying your will. But it’s always better when you allow Him to lead.
The Spirit is immensely important. We’re not literally slaves to God, we’re children, and the Spirit keeps us close to God, if we let Him. He’s the third member of the trinity and as such, knows the deep things of God. He’s your counselor. He’s the assurance of your hope. He’s the reminder of all Jesus said and did and He’s very willing to lead You in the way everlasting.
Romans 8:18-25 AMP
For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us!
Consider, from the standpoint of faith, we can go through anything and it still won’t be worthy to be compared with the glory about to be revealed to us, and in us! To us, easy to imagine. In us? Amazing.
Romans 8:19-22 AMP
For [even the whole] creation [all nature] waits eagerly for the children of God to be revealed.For the creation was subjected to frustration and futility, not willingly [because of some intentional fault on its part], but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hopethat the creation itself will also be freed from its bondage to decay [and gain entrance] into the glorious freedom of the children of God.For we know that the whole creation has been moaning together as in the pains of childbirth until now.
What does your imagination allow you to think about when you hear that? All of creation eagerly waits. Do you think that one day we will converse with animals of the land, air and sea as easily as we do one another? What about trees and flowers and bushes too?
Romans 8:23-25 AMP
And not only this, but we too, who have the first fruits of the Spirit [a joyful indication of the blessings to come], even we groan inwardly, as we wait eagerly for [the sign of] our adoption as sons—the redemption and transformation of our body [at the resurrection]. For in this hope we were saved [by faith]. But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait eagerly for it with patience and composure.
Romans 5:5 AMP
Such hope [in God’s promises] never disappoints us, because God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
God’s love. We’ve been abundantly filled with it when the Spirit dwells in us. The Last Day is coming. Until it does, keep your hope based on it’s coming and what that means for all of us. Eagerly wait with patience and composure. Peace dear friend, it’s His peace that will keep us composed in the wait.
The similarities of this Scripture with Ephesians 1 are abundant. Hold onto your faith. Exercise your faith. Grow your faith. Strengthen your faith. It’s all more true than anything else.
Thank You, Jesus, for these words today. Help us all live more like You every day. In your name, we pray. Amen.