Remember the Former Things

God's clear call for us to 'remember the former things' is a lesson in trust building in the Mighty God. God realizes when life gives way to fear, disbelief, and trouble our immediate response is to question Him. So, He tells us to 'remember!' Remember all that God has done as markers of faith.

My Current Memory Passage is Isaiah 46:9-11, which says:

9 Remember the former things, those of long ago;

I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ 11 From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.

The first lesson in remembrance is answering the question, "Who is God?" Certainly, we could get in a theological dissertation of GOD. That would take hours, even months to explain the vastness of God Almighty. This morning, I want us to understand the OTHERNESS of God.

Isaiah 45:5 says, "I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God."

Isaiah 45:21 again declares, "Declare what is to be, present it— let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me."

And how must we respond to our Creator?

Isaiah 45:9, 11 God says, “Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’? “This is what the Lord says—the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands?"

We must respond in trust and surrender. God is almighty and knows exactly what He is doing for His glory, Kingdom purposes, and even though we be but potsherds among the ground, our BEST!

He explains this beautiful truth is Isaiah 46:3-4: “Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. 4 Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."

What a promise for the children of God!

Secondly, in versus 10-11 of my current memory passage, we see the second lesson: the sovereignty or perfect control of God over our life, even the cosmos!!!

Do you find yourself kicking against God's plans for your life? You ask, "How can this be what God wants for me...this suffering...this station in life...this X, Y, Z?"

Acts 5:38b-39 exclaims (talking about Jesus, but we can apply it to our life as well)! "For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

May we NOT fight against the only and mighty God!

And finally, Acts 17:24-27 is one of my favorite passages in Scripture. It

reminds me that God is in control of every detail. Even where he has located me and everyone around me--SO THAT we would KNOW the One True God intimately!!!

It reads, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us."

My prayer is these passages of scripture encourage you today that we serve a REAL, POWERFUL God, who is in control of every detail of your life and the entire Universe. Therefore, we do not fear, but trust in His loving purposes! Have a joyous day resting in His peace.