Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

September 17
Wednesday


HE'S THERE
ALL THE TIME

READ:
Isaiah 45:18-25
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I did not say...,
"Seek Me in vain."
__Isaiah 45:19
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I'll never forget my frustrating experience when I went to Chicago's Union Station early one morning to pick up an elderly relative who was arriving by train. When I got there, she wasn't where I thought she would be. With increasing anxiety I scoured the place__to no avail. Thinking she had missed her train, I was about to leave when I glanced down a hallway toward the baggage area. There she was, luggage at her feet, pateintly waiting for me to arrive. She had been there all the time. And, to my chagrin, she was right where she was supposed to be.

It's that way with God. He's there, patiently waiting for us. He assures us, "I did not say.... 'Seek Me in vain' " (Isa. 45:19). Why, then, do we often have trouble finding Him? Probably because we are looking in all the wrong places.

You'll find Him right where He is supposed to be__in His Word, in prayer, and in the voice of the Holy Spirit who lives within you. The God who says "seek, and you will find" (Matt. 7:7) also promises that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6). So, you can rejoice that God is right where He is supposed to be, and He's waiting for you right now. __Joe Stowell
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```````````````````The Lord is near to all who call;````````````````
```````````````````He promised in His holy Word`````````````````
``````````````````That if we will draw near to Him,````````````````
``````````````Our faintest heartcry will be heard. __Hess```````````
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Have we been looking for God
in all the wrong places?

***************Today's Bible Reading __ Isaiah 45:18-25***********

18 For thus says the LORD,
who created the heavens,
who is God, who formed the
earth and made it, who has
established it, who did not
create it in vain, who formed
it to be inhabited: "I am the
LORD, and there is no other.

19 I have not spoken in secret,
in a dark place of the earth; I
did not say to the seed of
Jacob, 'Seek Me in vain'; I,
the LORD, speak
righteousness, I declare
things that are right.

20 "Assemble yourselves
and come; draw near
together, you who have
escaped from the nations.
They have no knowledge,
who carry the wood of their
carved image, and pray to a
god that cannot save. 21 Tell
and bring forth your case;
yes, let them take counsel
together. Who has declared
this from ancient time? Who
has told it from that time?
Have not I, the LORD? And
there is no other God besides
Me, a just God and a savior;
there is none besides Me.

22 "Look to Me, and be
saved, all you ends of the
earth! For I am God, and
there is no other. 23 I have
sworn by Myself; the word
has gone out of My mouth in
righteousness, and shall not
return, that to Me every knee
shall bow, every tongue shall
take an oath. 24 He shall say,
'Surely in the LORD I have
righteousness and strength.
To Him men shall come, and
all shall be ashamed who are
incensed against Him. 25 In
the LORD all the descendants
of Israel shall be justified,
and shall glory.' "

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

C.S. Lewis said: "There comes a moment when people who have
been dabbling in religion suddenly draw back. Supposing we really
found Him? We never meant it to come to that!" Isaiah warns that
those who reject God will be ashamed (45:24). He implores all to
look to God and be saved (v.22). __Dennis Fisher