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Daily Devotion: Isaiah 45:5-7

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Isaiah 45:5-7     "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:  (6)  That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.  (7)  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."

I will begin by confessing there are things in these verses that I do not fully understand; yet, the truth in them demands our attention. This chapter begins with the name of the man that God would use to bring the people back to Judah after being in bondage for 70 years. It is my understanding that Cyrus had not even been born at that time, yet God named him to be the one he would use. You can read the book of Daniel and Ezra to see how their release was brought about. There is no other explanation than God's hand was upon the people. God said about Cyrus, "I girded thee, though thou has not known me." God is able to use anything and anyone to bring about His will and purpose. Be assured of that. Though people would call Cyrus a heathen king, God said I girded you; that is to say, God placed him as king over all Asia at such a time.  The victories won by the king could only be attributed to the help of God. "That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else."

"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things." Let's go back to the very beginning to try to get a grasp on these things. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  (2)  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  (3)  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." (Genesis 1:1-3) I can only try to express this in human terms, so please bear with me. Before the beginning, there was total darkness and turmoil. "The earth was without form, and void." But when God entered into that darkness, the light of His glory penetrated and drove that darkness away. The entrance of His presence took away the emptiness and created a peaceful order that we call the universe. God's presence forms light and peace. His absence creates darkness and evil, or calamity, adversity, and affliction. Isn't that the way it is in our lives? I remember a church sign that was prevalent back in the 90's: "Know God: Know Peace. No God: No Peace". I believe that is the truth. I want to know Him more each day.

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