My Bible Verse of The Day - 2-20-25
Isaiah 10:15 (NLT) 15 But can the ax boast greater power than the person who uses it? Is the saw greater than the person who saws? Can a rod strike unless a hand moves it? Can a wooden cane walk by itself?
Welcome. Let us dive right back in!
In yesterday’s devotional we established the fact that God will use evil people to accomplish His purposes.
He used the Assyrian kings and their military to chasten Israel for their disobedience and unfaithfulness.
But we must note that God also punished those same evil people when He was done using them.
His punishing them was not necessarily because they were evil and did not call Him their God. In the example of the Assyrians, He punished them for their pride and arrogance.
The verse at the opening of this devotional shows God’s words to Assyria, letting them know (through the prophet Isaiah) that justice was coming, and it would not be in their favor.
Despite using them to chasten Israel, God warned them that they would also suffer His wrath.
In Isaiah 10:15, above, God used various hand tools as examples, showing the Assyrians that what they had accomplished was not by their own might, but because God had chosen them as His tools.
He emphasized that an ax cannot swing itself, therefore rendering it useless unless it is in the hands of a strong man.
Likewise, the Assyrian kings and military would not have been able to overcome Israel had God not ordained it to be so. And in the end, Assyria was overthrown.
Isaiah 10:12 (NKJV) 12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”
So, what can we glean from all this?
In summary, God is loving, kind, merciful, compassionate.
But He is also just. He asks for our faithfulness.
He does not expect perfection. He offers mercy, gives grace, and He is faithful to forgive when we genuinely repent and seek Him.
But He is also a consuming fire. And He chastens (disciplines) those whom He loves (Hebrews 12:6).
And He is willing to use even those whose hearts are evil to carry out that chastening, if necessary.
Does this always make sense to our finite, human minds? No, it does not.
But He is God, and His ways are higher than our ways.
And He is sovereign in all things. Let us recognize this and give Him the honor He is due.
We hope this series has been informative, enjoyable, and eye-opening, helping you see God more fully and understand Him better than ever before.
We love you all.
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443
401-439-3780
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