Isaiah 55:11

Verse of the Day Devotion Isaiah 55:11 

“So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” –  Isaiah 55:11 

The beginning of this verse shows that what was stated previously was an example or a metaphor regarding what was coming next.  In the prior verse we see the metaphor.  “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;” Isaiah 55:10. Now, verses 10-11, where the latter is our focus verse, gives a reason why we should seek the Lord and abandon our unrighteousness, which is the absolute dependability of God’s word.  Whatever He says, will come about.  In verse ten above, God speaks of the rain and the snow that fall from the sky.  When it comes down to earth, it will do the work God called it to do.  In the ancient Near East, rain was the difference between life and death. When the rain came at the appropriate time the farmer could hope for good crops, which meant enough food for the coming year.  However, if the rain did not come, not only was the crop lost but also the seed that was planted.  And what followed was famine and starvation.  Isaiah here states that God’s word was just like the rain, and only returns when it has completed what it was sent to do.  In particular, he compares the effectiveness of both.  Now we know that the water eventually returns to the sky, but as these verses state, not until the rain and snow had accomplished the watering of the soil and the seeds. It will remain until this was accomplished. 

And God’s preexistent purpose and the certainty of its accomplishment is a central theme throughout the scriptures.  “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, my purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure;” Isaiah 46:9-10.  He knows the end of all things from the beginning of all things.  He is never surprised and everything He declares absolutely will come to pass.  And the main idea specifically meant here in this chapter is found in verse 7.  “Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7. 

Jesus said the following as recorded by John “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18.  As Christians, if we truly believe in Him and turn away from our sins, we will be pardoned.  Again, as Isaiah said, “Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7.  God loves those who have turned their hearts to Him and abandon their former sinful life.  God has spoken and His words are true.  We who truly follow God and love Him with all our hearts are assured of our pardon because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  Whatever He has declared as our future is assured.  Therefore, be confident that this will totally come to pass. For as our focus verse states, “So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Psalm 73:25-26

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Psalm 73:25-26

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” – Psalm 73:25-26

Psalm 73 was written by Asaph.  Asaph was a Levite and as a Levite he ministered in the Tabernacle of Meeting – in the Sanctuary of God.  From what we know he was only one of three Levites specifically asked by King David (I Chronicles 6: 31, 39) to be in charge of the singing in the house of God.  He was keenly aware through his experience in this ministry of the hypocrisy that took place within the house of God at times as well as, the vanity of vanities of a man seeking refuge, peace, and fulfillment through the riches of the world.  Not unlike a true believer in our Lord and Savior today, at times we cannot

comprehend why the wicked and ungodly in this world prosper materially and have an abundance of earthly wealth and pleasures seemingly without any consequences.  It was not just the outsiders of the camp that Asaph is writing. It was the unfaithful within the encampment of Israel that he is referencing as well.  “Behold, these are the ungodly, who are always at ease; they increase in riches” (VS 12).  In contrast, Asaph saw that there are true, faithful, and righteous-living believers who are oppressed and do not have much in the way of material/earthly blessings.  This caused a conflict within his heart and within his ministry.  But Asaph writes: “When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me – until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end” (VSS 16,17).  

If you are a true believer in the finished work of Jesus Christ upon the Cross; His burial and His resurrection, you very well might be experiencing at times what Asaph did.  Maybe concerning earthly wealth and prosperity and/or the ease that appears to come with riches has never been at your doorstep.  Maybe you have said to yourself: “I’m doing everything I can to live rightly but why do those who don’t live rightly have more than me?  And like Asaph within the house of God, should I listen and believe the many prosperity and faith teachers of today’s church that I have a ‘right’ to expect material and earthly blessings and wealth as a believer in Christ?”  No.  Do not!   As new creations in Christ through faith, you have been placed into the Body of Christ.  Your blessings so abundant come to you by being ‘in Him’, not by being ‘in the world’ nor receiving from the world’s abundance.   “And blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,…” (Eph 1:3).   Does our Lord care about what we have materially to meet our needs?  Absolutely.   But to demand or expect God to be indebted to give us riches and wealth and obey our prayers or commands (prayers) for what we seek materially is wicked to the uttermost.  Those that solely grind after this world’s wealth to satisfy their needs are on a slippery slope (Ps 73:18) that will lead to destruction and desolation – like living in a dream and then suddenly awakened to reality (vss 18-20).   Therefore, what can we learn from Asaph’s experience?  In VSS 25-26, there is an encouraging summary of Asaph’s heart-felt prayer. 

#1.  “Whom have I in heaven but You?”  Technically, the phrase ‘but You’ is italicized which means it is inferred but not in the original text.  The question can read: “Whom have I in heaven?”   You do know that there are other created beings of God ‘in heaven’.  Angelic beings of all different roles and ranks are there.  There are beings that are evil in the ‘heavenly places’ and there are beings that adhere to the Word of God.  As believers our fight is not first and foremost against flesh and blood (the human realm), “…but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12).  So’ to answer Asaph’s question “Whom have I in heaven?”, the answer hopefully is clear to you as it was to Asaph.  It should ONLY be God. 

#2.    Not only is God our answer when looking toward the heavenly realm, He is our answer in our earthly realm as well.  “And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You” (VS 23b).  Oh, that you and I can have this kind of perspective, longing, and reality in our hearts.  Ironically, our Christmas season is here.  I desire that my heart would be like Asaph’s during this season; that I ultimately only desire Him – not the presents I might get or anything else offered from this world to try and fulfill only what He Himself can fill.  Be reminded that every TV commercial you will see this Christmas season will offer you the peace, prosperity, ease, comfort, and abundance that the world can give.  But while on this earth, there is none besides Him.  See, Asaph was a real man with real life before him.  Just like you today.  He expresses what many of us might feel at this very moment.

#3.  “My flesh and my heart fail;…” (VSS 26).   Asaph does not say ‘My flesh and heart MIGHT fail at times’.  No.  As a human being and even as an assigned singer in the house of God serving the One Living God, Asaph humbly admits to his readers of this Psalm that in his own strength (his flesh) and through his own efforts deep within his heart to do it right, he fails.  All ‘your’ efforts will fail you.  All ‘your’ self-determination within your own heart will come short of what you really, really need.   There are hundreds if not thousands of methodologies and self-help philosophies available in the world or within religious systems that promise to meet your most inner needs.   Listen here to the Word of God.  What you deeply need will not come from your own strength and your own heart-felt determination.   The answer once again is God Himself.  The Person. The Person is Jesus Christ.  “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?” (John 14:10).  It is worthy of repeating.  What you deeply need will not come from your own strength and your own heart-felt determination.   The answer once again is God Himself. 

#4.    “But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (VS 26b).   Do you need a measure of strength to get through whatever phase in life or challenges or questions you are experiencing now?   When you see the world around you, even within the church on some occasions, seemingly prosperous people who are at ease and at comfort within their riches, and you ask that question: “How am I supposed to live as I view these things around me?”    Let your answer be the same as Asaph.   ‘BUT GOD…..’.  But God is the strength of MY heart – not the material world around me, not some angelic spiritual beings. No way.  God is MY strength and MY portion forever!!    Call out to Him.  Cling to Him.  He is right here.  As believers in the Lord Jesus, thank God that we can instantly turn to Him for real comfort, strength, peace, and hope that will deeply satisfy our most challenging times.   Thank you, Lord!

Jaca Kier, Board Member, True Devotion Ministries, Inc. 

Galatians 5:16

Verse of the Day Devotion: Galatians 5:16 

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” – Galatians 5:16

Paul sets forth here a dichotomy.  We either walk by the Spirit of God, or we will walk according to our own desires.  These are in opposition to each other.  Paul states here in the next verse. “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” Galatians 5:17. We either do one or the other.

Paul lays out how we can deny our fleshly desires.  God has given us His Spirit to live within us, and we are to live under His influence and obey His will.  We are not to resist His leadings but accept them and resist where our desires could lead us.  If we would yield our hearts to the Spirit, we would be able to overcome all our corrupt and carnal propensities.  If we find ourselves resisting the Spirit, then we find ourselves being led in the other direction, following the ways of our flesh.

This situation laid out here is why it is so important that we fully submit to God and all His ways.  Satan is the great tempter.  He first tempted Eve in the garden, convincing her to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and then she gave the fruit to Adam who also ate of that tree.  What the devil did was stimulate the desires they had to be in control.  And he does the same thing today.  We, as Christians, desire that God be in control.  However, there are times when we let down our guard and we take control ourselves.  We listen to ourselves and our desires rather than the Spirit inside us.  Lacking self-control, we can succumb to the temptations the Devil brings our way.  Instead, we should always listen to and follow the Spirit of God and He will give us wisdom in our situation and guide us in His ways.  Instead of resisting the Spirit, we should resist the devil and his temptations. As James put it, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

Too often we go the other way, submitting to the devil instead of God.  It is important that we examine ourselves and see where we are, especially when we find ourselves giving in to our fleshly desires. Instead of following God, we find ourselves subconsciously resisting Him.  Often times we do not realize we are doing it.  That is why we are to consistently resist the devil because when we do, he will flee, and we will then be open to hearing God.

Be in prayer about this.  It is important that we seek the leading of the Spirit at all times.  It is easy at times to let our guard down.  But we must remain committed to God and His ways.  This is the only way we can resist the enemy of our souls and defeat him.    

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.