THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS (PART 2)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of. I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.”

Isaiah 45:1a, 2b

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Do you have barriers in front of you in life, obstacles that may seem insurmountable?

I have someone dear to me who is going through a lot right now. Problems with work, money, health, transportation, and relationship all coming at one time, this after they have already been struggling for some time now with at least one of these issues but none all at the same time. In the midst of our trials and difficulties, it can lead us at times to just want to cry out to God, wondering when it all might end. Our faith begins to wane, weighed down under the burden of our hardships.

At times as these, we might echo the words of David who knew a little but about going through difficulties in his life. Look at his words from the 6th Psalm:

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish.

How long, Lord, how long?

Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of Your unfailing love. I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow.  Psalm 6:2-4, 6-7a

Anguish. Exhaustion. Groaning and weeping and weakness and sorrow.

These are symptoms of being beat down by life and the matters of the world. In the midst of this, David knew where to turn for deliverance and thus shows us the way as well. For the only One who can truly make the way when there seems to be no way is the Lord God Almighty, the One through which all things can be done.

Looking at our scripture today in part two of an eighteen part series on things the Lord wants to say to us, we find assurance in knowing that nothing of this world can serve to hinder the Lord in carrying out His will and way. This goes for all things but in relation to this devotion, I want us to see the Lord as the One who breaks down barriers and makes the way clear for our problems to resolve. Look at these words from the Lord:

“This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of. I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.”  Isaiah 45:1a, 2b

As Cyrus went about carrying out the Lord’s plan to overthrow the Babylonian empire and set events in motion for the Israelites to be released from exile and return to rebuild Jerusalem and God’s temple therein, there was sure to be some resistance. The Babylonians were not going to go without a fight and would do whatever they could to defend themselves. This would mean closing gates or barring entrances where invaders could penetrate their defenses.

As we see from our scripture, none of that would matter for it was the Lord’s will for the Babylonians to be defeated and they would fall. No gates of bronze or bars of iron would prevent Cyrus and his Persian forces from gaining access and victory wherever God led them.

Friends, apply this to the difficulties we face in life, hardships that might seem like a gate of bronze preventing us from access to better days and resolution from our problems. Maybe we feel like we’re imprisoned by our circumstances behind bars of iron, longing for those bars to be cut so we might find escape from our hardships, liberated and free to live again unencumbered by troubles.

For all of us going through these tough situations, the Lord has something to say:

I will break down the gates of your difficulties and release you from the bars that incarcerate you in adversity. Believe and trust in Me for I am with you and for you. And remember there is nothing beyond the work of My hands.

Job endured his sufferings and stayed steadfast in his trust in God. In return, he found himself blessed even more after his trials than before (Job 42:12). The Bible provides these amazing testimonies so we can be strengthened, inspired, and encouraged.

I don’t know what you are going through today but I do know this.

God is greater and He can and will make a way where there seems to be no way, all in accordance with His plan for your life. Place your full faith, hope, and trust in Him and He will strengthen and encourage you until that time when He brings you to freedom from your burdens.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com