Morning by Morning—Daily Prayer Journey with Tommy Hays: Holding Fast to Our Redemptive Calling and Purpose

Wednesday, January 06, 2021

Holding Fast to Our Redemptive Calling and Purpose - January 6, 2020

Morning by Morning, January 6 - Holding Fast to Our Redemptive Calling and Purpose

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my heart, here at the foundation of my day, and every step along the way. ...

"Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
    who formed you in the womb:
I am the Lord, who made all things,
    who alone stretched out the heavens,
    who by Myself spread out the earth;

who frustrates the omens of liars,
and makes fools of diviners;
who turns back the wise,
and makes their knowledge foolish;

who confirms the word of His servant,
    and fulfills the prediction of His messengers;
who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be inhabited,'
    and of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be rebuilt,
    and I will raise up their ruins';

who says to the deep, 'Be dry-
I will dry up your rivers';

who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd,
and he shall carry out all My purpose';
and who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be rebuilt,'
and of the temple, 'Your foundation shall be laid'" (Isaiah 44:24-28).

In the days when Your messenger, the prophet Isaiah, spoke these words, they were days full of trouble, with days full of trouble to come. Yet You reminded him and You reminded his nation to keep the faith, to keep looking up to the One who "made all things" and "formed (them) in the womb" for Your purposes in the world.

And You are the same yesterday and today and forever. You're still the Creator, the Redeemer, the One who sends "the word of (Your) servant" and "fulfills the prediction of (Your) messengers." You're still the One who "frustrates the omens of liars" and "makes fools of diviners," who "turns back the wise" and "makes their knowledge foolish."

You're still the One "who says to the deep, 'Be dry.' It's still Your heart as our Shepherd to dry up the swamp, to expose the deep, to reveal the darkness, to rebuild and raise up Your people and Your nations to "carry out all (Your) purpose" -- no matter what troubling times we're in or what troubling times we'll go through.

You spoke to Isaiah and his nation Your Words of Spirit and Life, full of truth and hope, to get them through the times of trouble, without wavering in their faith in all they would go through, secure in their identity to fulfill their destiny. You reminded them that just as You were with them in the past, You would be with them now; and You would be with them until every word came to pass and every purpose was fulfilled, declaring:

"Remember these things, O Jacob,
and Israel, for you are My servant;
I formed you, you are My servant;
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me.

I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud,
and your sins like mist;
return to Me, for I have redeemed you" (v. 21-22).

Even before they saw Your words and Your promises spoken through Your servants and messengers fulfilled, You encouraged them to look up and even sing out with all Your creation what You would do for Your glory in their nation and for their world, declaring:

"Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it;
    shout, O depths of the earth;
break forth into singing, O mountains,
    O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
    and will be glorified in Israel!" (v. 23)

Yes, Lord. Let it be so! Here in our hearts, here in our nation, here in our generation to fulfill our calling and destiny, secure in our identity! Let us hold fast and not give up hope! Let the redemptive calling and gifting of our land in our times be fulfilled -- that the Gospel of the Kingdom may go forth, with freedom and fervor, from the shores of this nation to the ends of the earth! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

My friend, may you hold fast to the redemptive calling and purposes of God for you and your nation, not wavering in your faith, until every word of Spirit and Life from the Lord comes to pass, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. And I continue to join with you in prayer for our nation through these challenging times. God bless you, my friend!