“…so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it
shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and
shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11
How
great a promise! Such a wonderful guarantee! Ah, but do we believe it? The One
known as Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11), the One who has never broken His
oath, He has made a claim that His word will do exactly what it is purposed to
accomplish. It will not return empty but shall produce praise in the hearts of
His people. This God has vowed that His truth has a desired end; it was not
given in vanity. But again, do we believe Him?
Before
we answer with the obligatory, “of course
we do,“ let’s examine ourselves for existence of proof. Is God’s word present
in our daily conversations? Is our speech graciously seasoned with salt
(Colossians 4:6)? Is the gospel being heralded from your pulpit? And no, that was not merely directed at pastors. What
kinds of sermons are you preaching?
Is God’s word being prayed over our children? If not, why?! “For as sure as the rain and snow come down
from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth
and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater (Isaiah 55:10),”
so God’s word will do the same. There is fullness, fruitfulness, and
fulfillment to be found in Him. The promises proclaimed are precious and
priceless, and they shall come to pass. His words will not come back void.
Sure,
we are all slow and stubborn in our own ways. We not only see others reject the
wisdom of the word, but we know our own hesitations as well. But this should
not deter us from remaining faithful! For how often has truth been softly
spoken to your soul in that hour of most dire need? Does not the Holy Spirit
remind us of that which we’ve been taught (John 14:26)? Granted, most people do
not enjoy being challenged. Not many like being confronted with their neediness.
Culture will always prefer softer, shorter, convenient, entertaining,
ear-tickling types of sermons. But this should not strike us as strange nor as
some new phenomena (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
Rather
consider this: Are children not typically much more in tune with their wants than their needs? If our children were allowed to develop their own diet and tooth-brushing
regiment, they would soon be sick with cavity-filled mouths and malnourished
bodies. Whether shepherding a church or our own individual families, we must
give our sheep what they need, that
which is richest and best – the satisfying, all-sustaining word of God. How can
His truth not be before us? Are we not commanded to teach God’s word
diligently, to discuss it when we walk and when we sit, to post it in our house
and meditate upon it along our way, bound as a sign on our hand and treasured
within our hearts (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Colossians 3:16)?
Maybe
we’re afraid. Perhaps we’ve grown cynical over time. We might be tired. We were
once enthused but have quit gazing into the depths of Scripture because our
answers have not been wrought. But God’s word tells us to fear not (Isaiah
41:10, Psalm 56:3-4, Hebrews 13:6, 2 Timothy 1:7), for He is greater (Psalm
135:5-6, Psalm 95:3, Psalm 147:5, Deuteronomy 10:17, 1 John 4:4). He will not
grow tired or weary (Isaiah 40:28), but brings grace to the helpless, offering deliverance
for the captives (Isaiah 61:1). Additionally, the Lord has promised in His
unchanging word that He will make everything beautiful in its time
(Ecclesiastes 3:11). So right now we can’t see what He is doing; we’re not sure
how redemption will come… Let us look to His word and know that it will
accomplish that which He has planned and promised.
When we
feel stuck in a faithless stalemate of sorts, Scripture provides means for
escape. “For faith comes from hearing,
and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17).” The gospel is good
news because it offers forgiveness from past sins (present and future ones
too), eternal blessings that will one day be enjoyed in glory, and strength to
stand firm today, for we have the Holy Spirit living in us. In Christ, we can do all things. In Him,
we can fight the good fight. And when
our faith is failing, there is mercy for our unbelief (Mark 9:24), for the Lord
responds to such transparency. God will grow us through and beyond our bouts of
weakness.
We can
rest in these promises this morning because they flow from the mouth of God.
And His word will not be overcome; His plans will not be thwarted (Job 42:2).
He is the Everlasting God, full of grace and mercy and compassion. His word is
for our good; it is given for our growth; but ultimately, it is for His glory.
The Spirit speaks to us through Scripture, shifting our thoughts, transforming
our hearts, and making us altogether new creations in Christ. The old has gone
and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). This
is good news! This is precisely why
we must be a people of the word. It is this precious hope that prompted the
Apostle Paul to recall the words of Isaiah 52 – blessed and beautiful are the feet of gospel messengers (Romans 10:15)!
“For as sure as the rain and snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes
out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish
that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it
(Isaiah 55:10-11).”
May we
herald and hope in this precious promise, and dearly cling to every word that
comes from the mouth of God. May good news flow from our lips into every corner
of our life – at work and at play, in our day-to-day conversations, our
preaching and praying, and in our times of gathering together with His saints,
for there is power in the name of Jesus and the proclamation of His gospel.
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| Matt Fowler Associate Pastor of Missions & Students matt@nbchurch.info @fattmowler |
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