FAITH MAKES THE WORD PREVAIL!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 05, 2023.

SUBJECT : FAITH MAKES THE WORD PREVAIL!

Memory verse: ""So the Word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed." (Acts 19 vs 20.)

READ: Mark 11 vs 12 - 14; 

11:12: Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.

11:13: And seeing from afar off a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season for figs.

11:14: In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again. And His disciples heard it.

11:20: Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

11:21: And Peter, remembering,  said  to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.

11:22: So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.”

11:23: For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

11:24: Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

 INTIMATION:

Jesus Christ is the Word (John 1 vs 1). The Word takes the place of the unseen Christ in the believer. Meditation on the Word is a visit with Him. The Word is a seed (Luke 8 vs 11), and when planted in our fleshy hearts,  germinates and begin to live in us; grows, and gets into our blood. The Word becomes a part of one by mediation. 

Faith in the Word—faith in Christ—makes the Word prevail. Our memory verse says, "So the Word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed." The Word prevailed as it grew mightily because the believers caught the revelation of Christ in the Word when it was preached to them. The apostle Paul preached in Ephesus and a revival ensued and shook the nation. It was not the apostle Paul's preaching; it was not his logic or philosophy; it was the Word of God. It grew in the minds of the people, and gained supremacy over them because of their faith.

Faith comes when the Word prevails over our thinking processes. In the Bible, we see the Word prevailing in Jesus' lips over the laws of nature; "Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then the disciples came to Him and awoke Him saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing! But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that the winds and sea obey Him?" (Matthew 8 vs 23 - 27.) Jesus said, "O you of little faith." It was the faith of Jesus that made the Word prevail, but the disciples couldn't handle the situation for they had little faith.

Also, the Word prevailed in Matthew 8 vs 5 - 9: "Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed dreadfully tormented." And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go ,' and he goes; and another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

Jesus marveled at the response of the centurion in faith, and said to those who followed Him; "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” “Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And the servant was healed that same hour." (Matthew 8 vs 10 & 13.) It was the faith that the centurion manifested that made the Word to prevail in his situation.

In the passage we read today, Jesus spoke the word in faith, and it was done to the fig tree according to His word. His disciples were astonished at the prevailing power of His Word to the fig tree, and when Peter saw that the fig tree which He cursed the previous day has withered away, he called His attention to it, and Jesus responded and said, “Have faith in God.” Jesus response to apostle Peter revealed that the prevailing power in His Word was according to His faith.

The Word takes the place of the unseen Christ. Faith in the Word is faith in Christ because Word and Christ are one. To pray effectively, you need faith in God, not faith in the object of your request. If you claim to have faith without putting it to work in your life, you are like the barren fig tree in the passage we read today. Genuine faith had great potential. It places you in the stead of Christ, and that faith that worked for Him will also work for you. Pray to God to help you bear fruit for His kingdom. The other conditions that must be met for the Word to prevail in your lips include: (1) You must be a believer; (2) you must not hold a grudge against another person; (3) you must not pray with selfish motives; (4) your request must be for the good of God’s kingdom.

Prayer: Abba Father, forever Your Word is settled in heaven. Endue with the spirit of faith in Your Word, that I will speak Your in faith with full assurance that Your Word I speak will prevail, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Five Ways Affliction Helps

 

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. (Psalm 119:67)

This verse shows that God sends affliction to help us learn his word. How does that work? How does affliction help us learn and obey the word of God?

There are innumerable answers, as there are innumerable experiences of this great mercy. But here are five:

Affliction takes away the glibness of life and makes us more serious, so that our mindset is more in tune with the seriousness of God’s word. And mark this: There is not a single glib page in the book of God.

Affliction knocks worldly props out from under us and forces us to rely more on God, which brings us more in tune with the aim of the word. For the aim of the word is that we hope in God and trust him. “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). “These [things] are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31).

Affliction makes us search the Scriptures with greater desperation for help, rather than treating it as marginal to life. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Affliction brings us into the partnership of Christ’s sufferings, so that we fellowship more closely with him and see the world more readily through his eyes. Paul’s great heart longing was “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10).

Affliction mortifies deceitful and distracting fleshly desires, and so brings us into a more spiritual frame and makes us receptive to the spiritual word of God. “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin” (1 Peter 4:1). Suffering has a great sin-killing effect. And the more pure we are, the more clearly we see God (Matthew 5:8).

May the Holy Spirit give us grace to not begrudge the pedagogy of God through pain.

PRAISE YOUR WAY THROUGH!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 04, 2023. 

SUBJECT : PRAISE YOUR WAY THROUGH!

Memory verse: "But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel" (Psalm 22 vs 3).

Read: Psalm 67 vs 3 - 7; 145 vs 3 - 7 & 10:

67:3: Let the people praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You.

67:4: Oh let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people righteously, and govern the nations on earth.

67:5: Let the people praise You, O God; let all the people praise You.

67:6: Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, that our own God, shall bless us.

67:7: God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

145:3: Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. 145:4: One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts. 

145:5: I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and of Your wondrous works. 

145:6: Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. 

145:7: They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.

145:10: All Your works shall praise You O Lord, and Your saints shall bless You.

INTIMATION:

Praise is to be ascribed to God, in respect of His glory (the exhibition of His character and operations). Praise is the expression to God of our admiration, appreciation, thanks, approval, and understanding of what He does—His creation, His blessings, His forgiveness. It is also to give great honor to God for each aspect of God's divine nature—loving, just, faithful, forgiving, patient, and the revelation of Himself to us. In praise, we outwardly express our inward attitude toward God. When we praise God we help ourselves by expanding our awareness of who He is. 

Praise is vocal, it is uttered and should be offered in proportion to God's own Person. He is great—great in wisdom, great in power, great in His creative works, great in His redemptive acts and great in His dealings with us. Everything that God does is great and therefore should be greatly praised. Considering all that God has done and does for us, what could be more natural than outbursts of heartfelt praise? 

Praise stimulates God into action. Acknowledging Him for who He is and what He does stimulates Him to take over our battles, and come through to us in our petitions to Him. Because it’s one thing God cannot do for Himself, He is very pleased when we offer our sincere praise to Him. Offering praise to the Lord draws His attention to us. Praise engenders the manifestation of God’s greatness, and the outpouring of His blessings on our lives. Praise brings God down in His Might to attend personally to our situation.

In our memory verse, we observe that God is "enthroned in the praises of Israel." The nation of Israel (the descendants of Jacob) was special to God because to its people God brought His laws, and through its people He sent His Son, Jesus Christ. Now any individual who follows God is just as special to Him. In fact, the Bible says that the nation of Israel is not a specific people or geographic place but the community of all who believe in and obey God; "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3 vs 28 - 29).

God's enthronement on the praises of His people was showcased when Paul and Silas were in jail in Philippi, where the jailor thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight they prayed, and sang praises unto God. The Great God showed up in His Might, in response to the praises of His children; "And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed." (Acts 16 vs 23 - 26.)

Praise should be continuously offered to God as a sacrifice. In so doing you will realize that you won't take His blessings for granted. Praise God first in your prayer, then you will be prepared to present your needs to Him. Songs of praise focus our attention on God, give us an outlet for spiritual celebration, and reminds us of God’s faithfulness and character. Prophet Hosea said that in prayer and praise our iniquities are taking away; “Take words with you, and return to the Lord, say to Him, “Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips” (Hosea 14 vs 2).

In our worship to God, praise does the following:-

(1) Praise first puts us in the right frame of mind to tell about our needs.

(2) Praise takes our minds off our problems and shortcomings to focus on God.

(3) Praise leads us from individual meditation to corporate worship.

(4) Praise causes us to consider and appreciate God's character.

(5) Praise lifts our perspective from the earthly to the heavenly.

(6) Praise prepares our hearts to receive God's love and power of His Holy Spirit.

(7) Praise brings God down in His Might to attend personally to our situation.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit and garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that I may praise You all the days of my life for who You are, and all You do. And it shall be counted for me as righteousness, and brings Your Might to bear in my situation and cause Your blessings to be poured out on me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

OUTWARD APPEARANCE CAN DECEIVE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 03, 2023.

SUBJECT : OUTWARD APPEARANCE CAN DECEIVE!

Memory verse: "But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (First Samuel 16 vs 7.)

READ: Matthew 23 vs 25 - 28:

23:25: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.

23:26: Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 

23:27: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful  outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

23:28: Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

INTIMATION:

Outward impression or appearance can mislead. It can mislead or deceive because it may be pretentious in order to make a good impression; the appearance outwardly does not give the real expression of the intent of the heart of a person. The heart, sometimes translated “mind” or “soul,” constitutes the center of human reasoning and thoughts, and reveals what people are really like or what their true value is. The heart is the locus of feelings and intuitions; it’s, figuratively, the seat of emotions—the place of origin of the affections, understanding, and thoughts. Things of the heart are inward and hidden, and may not be outwardly expressed in the appearance of a person.

The prophet Jeremiah stated thus; “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17 vs 9.) The intent of the heart is invisible or unknown to any other except the owner and God. Consequently, every plans, thoughts, activities, etc. of a person is consummated in the heart, and nobody knows it except the owner and God. And the outward expression of the person may not be the actual impression of the heart.

Your outward appearance might be superb and admirable, while inwardly you may be devilish. For instance, in today’s memory verse, God told prophet Samuel not to look at the outward appearance. God had rejected Saul as king of the Israelites, and sent prophet Samuel to go and anoint a new king He has chosen for the nation of Israel. Saul was tall and handsome; he was an impressive-looking man. Samuel may have been trying to find someone who looked like Saul to be Israel’s next king, but God warned him against judging by appearance alone. 

Saul was tall, handsome, strong, rich, and powerful, but all of these were not enough to make him someone to be emulated because of his disobedience to God. He was tall physically, but he was small in God’s eyes. He was handsome, but his sin made him ugly. He was strong, but lack of faith made him weak. He was rich, but he was spiritually bankrupt. He could give orders to many, but he couldn’t command their respect or allegiance. Saul looked good on the outside, but he was decaying on the inside. 

When people judge by outward appearance, they may overlook quality individuals who has the inner qualities required by God, but rather they may be influenced by the outward physical qualities that society currently admires. A right relationship with God and a strong character are much more valuable than a good looking exterior. 

Jesus, in admonishing the Pharisees, said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16 vs 15.) In the passage we read today, Jesus also condemned the Pharisees for their deep concern about their outward appearance, while their inward attitude is rotten: “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23 vs 28.)

The Pharisees acted piously to get praises from others, but God knew what was in their hearts. Fortunately God judges by faith and character, not appearance. And because only God can see on the inside, only Him can accurately judge people. Most people spend hours each week maintaining their outward appearance; they should do even more to develop their inner character. While everyone can see your face, only you and God know what your heart really looks like. 

Nothing can be hidden from God. He sees and understands everything in our hearts. It makes no sense trying to hide any thoughts from all-knowing God. Instead, heed the advice of the apostle Paul: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12 vs 2.) However, knowing that God knows sinful heart and still loves us should be a thing of joy, not fear, because He knows even the worst about us and loves us anyway.

Never judge anybody by the outward appearance. The outward piety may not really be the inward attitude of the person. Many people pretend to be what they are not, and deceive others by their outward appearance. The intent of their hearts may be devilish while they outwardly appear pious, nice, unassuming and so on. They are ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’ (Matthew 7 vs 15). 

All Christians should strive to develop the mind of Christ (Philippians 2 vs 5); to do the will of God and receive His approval and the “crown of glory”—eternal life with Him. My prayer is that we should all strive to be Christlike in thoughts and character.

Prayer: Abba Father, let this mind be in me, which is also in Christ Jesus, that I will do Your will, and my appearance may be a true reflection of my inner man, reflecting my total trust in You at all times and in all things, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE IDEAL MANNER TO PRAISE THE LORD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 02, 2023.

SUBJECT : THE IDEAL MANNER TO PRAISE THE LORD!

Memory verse: "I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works." (Psalm 9 vs 1.)

READ: Psalm 103 vs 1 - 6 & 8:

103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.

103:2: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

103:3: Who forgives all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases;

103:4: Who redeems your life from destruction; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

103:5: Who satisfies your mouth with good things; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

103:6: The LORD executes righteousness and judgment for all who are oppressed.

103:8: The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

INTIMATION:

Praise is to express admiration or approval of; to commend; to extol; to glorify or worship. To praise the Lord is to worship Him; it is expressing your appreciation and understanding of His worth; it is saying thank you for each aspect of His divine nature. Your inward attitude about Him is outwardly expressed in praise. When you praise God, you help yourself by expanding your awareness of who He is. 

Praise can be in speech or song. Praising God in a song is not just song about God, It is a song to God. Praising God has several aspects to it. The ideal manner of praising God include: (1) Thanking Him for each of His divine nature—Creator, Merciful, Loving, Faithful, Powerful, Unchanging, Forgiving, Magnificent, Glorious, etc. As you read the Bible, look for other characteristics or divine nature of God for which to thank Him. Thanking Him for them is the best way to ask for the manifestation of those characteristics in your life. It is always good to make a list of such characteristics and keep reminding yourself of them, internalizing them, and make them a permanent part of your worship.

(2) Focus your heart on God. See nothing, know nothing other than God. Not even yourself require any attention. The Scripture says, “I will praise You with my whole heart” (Psalm 9 vs1; 138 vs 1). To help you to achieve the required fixation on God, just take one attribute of God, such as His mercy, then concentrate on it for an entire week in your meditation and prayer. In no time it will be an integral part of your worship to Him.

(3) Thank God for His many gracious gifts to mankind. Make a list and count your blessings, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done. David said, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits...” (Psalm 68 vs 19.) He also said, “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand....” (Psalm 139 vs 17 - 18.) 

Now, take for instance, you wake up in the morning, hale and hearty; All the organs in your body are all functioning properly—you can see, talk, walk, taste, feel, hear,  breath, sit, stand, smile, run, eat, free your bowel, etc. All these are possible because the various functional organs are working in harmony with the also functional sensory nerves, body cells, body tissues etc. Also the various natural substances—the air, sun, water, etc—are all available to you. God has made all these possible, and also has given you other qualitative provisions of emotional, and spiritual stability. The list is unending, and all in one day. Imagine the number of human cells working all at the same time in your body to achieve the good health; they are in billions, and God has made all these functional. What is more worthy than to thank and appreciate this good God. Praise God and tell Him afresh how much you appreciate all these.

(4) Finally, above all, thank God for your relationship with Him through Christ you has  given you the gift of salvation, and has been made to you wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Praising Him lifts your perceptive from the earthly to the heavenly, and prepares your heart to receive God’s love and the power of His Holy Spirit.

Now, can you find something to praise God wholeheartedly for each day? As you do, you will find your heart elevated from daily distractions to lasting confidence, reminding you of God’s faithfulness and character which positively effect your attitude.

Prayer: Abba Father, there is none like You. I can’t thank You enough. Even if my whole body are tongues, it’s not enough to thank You for Your unequalled goodness, mercy, and love showered on me. With my whole heart I will daily lift You in praise. Let my praise come to You as a sweet smelling sacrifice, O Lord, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR WORDS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 01, 2023.

SUBJECT : BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR WORDS!

Memory verse: "You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth" (Proverbs 6 vs 2).

READ: Proverbs 13 vs 2 - 3; 18 vs 21; 21 vs 23:

13:2:  A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.

13:3: He who guards his mouth preserves his life: but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

18:21: Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

21:23: Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.

INTIMATION:

Words can work wonders, but they can also work blunders! Do you realize that multitude of people fail in life because they speak failure? They fear failure and allow their fear to overcome their faith. What you say locates you. You will not—you cannot—rise above your own words. If you speak defeat, failure, anxiety, sickness, and unbelief, you will live on that level. Neither you nor anyone else, no matter how clever, will ever live above the standard of their conversation/confession. This spiritual principle is unalterable.

If your conversation/confession is foolish, trifling, unpractical, or disorganized, your life invariably will be the same way. With your words, you constantly paint a picture of your inner self. Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the. Heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12 vs 34). If you think back on your life, you will probably agree that most of your troubles have been tongue troubles. Careful words make for a careful life, and careless talk may ruin everything. Numerous troubles are caused by an unruly tongue! Words spoken in the heat of the moment; words of anger, words of harshness, words of retaliation, words of bitterness, words of unkindness produce troubles for us. 

Words kill, and also gives life; they are either poison or fruit. It is your choice to make. It's really important that we let God help us overcome our unruly speech habits, for our words can work blunders and get us into trouble. A negative confession can produce negative results, while a positive confession can build your faith and confidence up. 

Confession is made with the mouth, not only for the good things God has promised us, but also for sickness, defeat, bondage, lack, and failure. Refuse to have a bad or negative confession. 

It’s also very important you repudiate a dual confession, it is very harmful to the spirit. Dual confession is a sign of unfaithfulness or doubt—a wavering spirit that is incapable of receiving anything from the Lord. For instance, you said at one moment; "With His stripes I am healed" (Isaiah 53 vs 5), and the next moment you said; "But the pain is still there." Don’t expect to get your divine healing because, according to Scripture, you are unfaithful—wavering between faith and unbelief. 

Go to higher level of living in the kingdom of God. Believe that you are who God says you are. Think that way. Talk that way. Act that way. Train yourself to live on the level of trusting what is written about you in God's Word. Do not permit your thoughts, your words, or your actions to contradict what God says about you. Therefore, be careful with your conversation/confession. Although you may  not master positive confession in a day or even a week, but you will learn it as you continue to walk in it faithfully. Because God has said it, we should boldly say the same thing! 

Avoid careless speech because it is a vicious habit. When one realizes that his words are the coin of his kingdom and that his words can be either a cursing influence or a blessing, he will learn to value the gift of speech. The word is a seed (Luke 8 vs 11), and germinates when sown. It can grow and become fruitful. If spoken from a poisoned mind is a poisonous seed, and is disastrous. An idle word spoken aloud may fall into the soil of someone's heart and poison his entire life. Learn to control your tongue. Therefore, ask God to help you set a guard over your mouth, and keep watch over the door of your lips. (See Psalm 141 vs 3).

Prayer: Abba Father, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. Let my word be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that I may know how I will answer every man, refrain my tongue from evil, and my lips from that they speak no guile, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Included in the Covenant

 

There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine.” (Psalm 132:17–18)

Who will benefit from the promises God made to David?

Here is Psalm 132:17–18 again: “I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine.”

Now connect that with Isaiah 55:1, 3, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! . . . And I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.”

From this side of the cross, here’s how I would paraphrase that promise: Whoever comes to God through Jesus Christ, his Son, thirsting for what God is for us in Christ, rather than depending on who we are or what we do, God will make with that one a covenant.

Remember how the Bible comes to an end in Revelation 22:17? “Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” This is not just the Jews of Isaiah’s day. This is anyone who comes to Christ to satisfy the thirst of his soul. “I will make with [that one] an everlasting covenant!”

What covenant? A covenant defined and secured by God’s “sure love for David.” Isaiah 55:3, “I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.” I take that to mean that I am included in the Davidic covenant. What David gets, I will get in Christ Jesus.

And what does that include?

A horn will sprout for me. That is, great strength will fight for me and protect me. There will be a God-prepared lamp for me. That is, light will surround me and darkness will not overcome me. There will be a crown for me. That is, I will reign with the Son of David and sit with him on his throne. “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne” (Revelation 3:21).

It is an astonishing thing that we will benefit from the promises made to David. God means for us to be astonished. He means for us to leave our devotions astonished at the power and authority and surety with which we are loved by God.