God is sufficient for the Christian throughout the stages of life and beyond.

 

Isaiah 46:4 (NKJV)  Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you!  I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.

 

God speaks to the nation of Israel, but I cannot help but take comfort that the promise, though Christ, comes to me as well.  God attended to me from birth and will attend in my elder years and when I approach death.  Consider  Psalm 48:14  "For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death."  The study Bible I use, the “Spirit Filled Life Bible”, notes that the Septuagint reads "unto eternity" instead of “even to death."  The Hebrew is difficult to translate, but the idea of God being present in every transition in life, through birth, the chapters of life, death and beyond is a blessing.  In Christ we have a guide throughout eternity.

Note:  I am partial to “The Spirit Filled Life Study Bible” and the “NKJV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible.”  I tend to read from the King James Version, the New King James Version, and the New American Standard Version of the Bible.  There are many good translations and study Bibles in the English language.

 

The People God Named Before They Were Born

 

Isaiah 44:28  who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’

 

Some theologians suspect that the Book of Isaiah had two authors because of the change in tone starting with chapter 40, and also because of others like it in chapter 45.  The prophet mentions a person by name, Cyrus who will order the reconstruction of Jerusalem.  This was Cyrus the Great, Ruler of Persia who ascended his throne 150 years this prophecy was written.  Thus, the Lord reveals the political ruler who will release Israel from captivity over a century before he gains his throne, and He does so by name.

 

This wasn’t the first time something like this happened.  An unknown prophet in 1 Kings spoke of Josiah, a king that would put a stop to idolatry in Israel.  He did, three hundred years later. (1 Kings 13:1-2; 2 Kings 23:15-16)

 

There may be more to this than two rare instances of prophecy using a specific name.  Revelation speaks of the Lamb’s Book of Life, in which everyone saved by grace is named.  (Revelation 20:12-15).  It is a great comfort to know a God who names people years before they are born, and who has a book with the names of everyone who loves Christ, which, I trust, includes ours as well.

Waiting on the Lord

One of my favorite promises of Scripture is the beautiful words of Isaiah 40:31.  Here are a few thoughts and reflections on that verse...

"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

The word for "wait" has the ideas of "hope" and "expectancy" at its root.  Consider Lamentations 3:22-26:  "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.  'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, therefore I hope in Him!  The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.

Note:  The juxtaposition of "wait for Him" and "the soul who seeks Him" implies that the two are related, if not synonymous.  That this wonderful promise would be set in the dreadful circumstances of Lamentations makes it all the more potent.

The phrase "on eagle's wings" described God's care for the nation of Israel during their wanderings in the Sinai desert for 40 years after leaving Egypt.

Exodus 19:4-6   “’You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.  Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and kept My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.  And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’  These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

The blessings of salvation are compared to such a renewal.

"like eagles"-Psalm 103:1-5  Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits; who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

Much of what is in this passage reminds me of what it means to be saved by Jesus Christ.  We are free to honor God-the very purpose for our existence.  We are given many benefits (cf. Ephesians 1).  Our sins are forgiven even though we can never make them right by our own work.  We have a covenant of health and healing, fulfilled ultimately with our resurrection body, yet we can pray for healing at all times.  We are redeemed from destruction-from Hell.  We enjoy the kindness and mercy of God, who provides for us what we need for each day.

The promise does not mean that daily life is always easy.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10  "We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."

2 Corinthians 4:16-18  "Therefore we do not lose heart.  Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

This appears to be an example of the Apostle Paul's youth being renewed "like the eagle's" even though the phrase is not in the text.  However difficult the circumstances, and they were very difficult, he always had what he really needed to carry on, and his inner vision of the permanent eternal diminished his focus on the temporary present.  Would that we all would have such vision.  The Apostle does not ignore his difficulties, but even in the midst of them feels himself renewed and sees the "weight of glory" that will be the ultimate result.

Prayer:  Dear Father, I pray for everyone who reads these notes, that we all would have a vision of eternity that colors our understanding of this present age with its many difficulties.  Especially for those Christians who face persecution or extreme challenges in life, I pray for the wings of eagles promised in Your precious Word.  May all who read this feel the same renewal in their heart and soul.  May they have victory in everyday life and may their vision of the eternal grow even stronger than their understanding of the present.  In the Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.