God is All Powerful; Let Go of Idols

Isaiah 45-47

Isaiah provides powerful words today that remind us that God is the all powerful creator of all and we should let go of idols that we have built with our own hands. Lord, open our eyes and ears, help us to utterly destroy the idols we have created that we can’t see or hear, those things that have crept into our lives. Thank you for the words of Isaiah this morning. May we pause and find ourselves lost in your glory as he tries to paint a word picture worthy of your name.

I can get lost in this thought, the power of these few words:

I form the light and create darkness,
I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the Lord, do all these things.
Isaiah 45:7

The majesty of God is endless. What He does and can do is without limit. “I form the light…I bring prosperity” is awesome, but think about the opposing idea: “and create darkness…and create disaster.” Our God, the one and only God, does all these things.

Hear this battle cry, the mission we are all a part of:

“Gather together and come;
assemble, you fugitives from the nations.
Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood,
who pray to gods that cannot save.
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.”
Isaiah 45:20-21

Many are ignorant, they simply don’t know that they lack the knowledge of Christ, they are unaware. The world has taught us to hang onto idols of status, money, reputation, job titles, houses, cars, etc., but these cannot save. Powerful words from Isaiah still call us out today. Lord, help us to declare your majesty in all things.

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As Alyssa turns 23 today (Happy Birthday Alyssa!), I’m thankful for this assurance:

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.
Isaiah 46:4

Some days I feel old, the gray hairs don’t lie, but it’s comforting to know the Lord is my sustainer–he will rescue me!

Isaiah 47 denounces Babylon for its arrogance and foresees its demise. As I read this chapter today I think of our current culture, that which has swept many away into an exile that is unseen. Addictions that trap us, virtual worlds we have created to distract us from the mission that Christ called us to fulfill. Isaiah speaks of Babylon, the great and mighty mocker of all. God used the Babylonians to punish the southern kingdom, our ancient ancestors, but their overstepped their role and thought too highly of themselves.

“Sit in silence, go into darkness,
queen city of the Babylonians;
no more will you be called
queen of kingdoms.
I was angry with my people
and desecrated my inheritance;
I gave them into your hand,
and you showed them no mercy.
Isaiah 47:5-6

The punishment on those who refuse to listen will be great and horrible.

You have trusted in your wickedness
and have said, ‘No one sees me.’
Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you
when you say to yourself,
‘I am, and there is none besides me.’
Disaster will come upon you,
and you will not know how to conjure it away.
Isaiah 47:10-11

I know, we don’t like to use fear as a motivator; I’m not trying to suggest that here, but I hope we can see the great “I am” in these words and let go of that which will destroy eternal lives. The more I come to appreciate God as the all powerful, the more I see myself as a all weak, but here’s the catch: God sees us as his children, his creation and he loves us like we love our own. It’s built into our DNA. We are his. Let go of idols and grab hold of that which will not perish. Thank you Lord, God Almighty, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit!