Imagine these words being spoken to a congregation of Jewish exiles. God reminds his people through Isaiah that he had predicted the disaster that had overtaken Israel. Their exile is not to be attributed to any other power, human or divine, but God himself. Now also, on the eve of their liberation from captivity, He predicts new things so that, when they occur, they will know that God alone is the Lord over world events and that he is directing things for the sake of his purpose. God created the world and he called Cyrus. These events are not outside God’s sovereignty. God’s people must know that they are part of a plan that is unthwartable. You are part of something so much bigger than what you can see. You will not perceive the full implications of your actions in this life. Therefore, you are also not in a position to judge whether something done in obedience to God is a failure or a success. God’s purpose does not hinge on what looks like success to us. Something may seem insignificant or look like a failure when in fact it is a key link in the chain of God’s plan. Let God be God and allow yourself to rest in entrusting your life to him. He will accomplish his purpose through you.
Ask God to use you today and be alert to the opportunities to serve him.
Read Isaiah 48.
