It Is the LORD

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 12:6, Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the LORD who raised up Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt.

What a profound statement, “It is the LORD.” As Christians, this ought to be the one statement that resonates in our thinking as we live out our lives for Jesus; that is, if we are truly living out our lives for Him. When we were lost and without hope, and now are found and have hope, “It is the LORD.” When we were on the path to eternal condemnation in Hell and Lake of Fire, but are now children of God who are Heaven-bound, “It is the LORD.” When troubles surrounded us and we were stressed, depressed, and without hope, but now have peace, joy, and have a Living Hope, “It is the LORD.” Do we see where I am going with this? Israel’s relationship with God was no different than ours is today. Over and over again, as Samuel points out in the following verses of this chapter, Israel sinned against, and forsook, God. When they were at the height of their oppression, they would cry out to the Lord, and He would rescue them once again, forgiving them and restoring them. How often have we had to go to the Lord and ask His forgiveness for our rebellious decisions and sinful acts against Him? By the way, when we sin against others, the sin is against God, as we know from Joseph’s statement in Genesis 39:9. In each case, when God sent someone to deliver Israel, even though he used men and women to lead them to victory, it was the LORD who did it. The key to surviving this life, and living a life that honors God, is to let Him be the One who leads, and strengthens, and gives the victory. The fact of the matter is that we are surrounded by people who are like Israel was then; people who have been blessed, who fail to acknowledge God as the One from whom the blessings came from, and who often want nothing to do with God. We live in a world that is stressed, depressed, lost, and without hope. We have the answer, and the answer is Jesus. Every time God restored Israel, He called them to go forward, fight, and trust Him to give them the victory. So it is today. God will always give us the victory, but it may come with a struggle. Before the victory comes, we may get a bit bloodied. We face a fierce enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, our soul, relationship with God, and testimony for Christ (John 10:10). He desires to sift us as wheat, as Jesus said to Peter (Luke 22:31-34). However, we have One who not only warns us that we will face hard times, but also reminds us that in Him we will overcome. In John 16:33 Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Today, those of you who are reading this may be in one of two situations; you either do not know the LORD and need to call on Him as your Savior and LORD, or you do know Him and He wants to use you to be a Moses, Aaron, Jephthah, or Samuel, in someone’s life. Regardless, if you are without hope and your world is falling apart, only the LORD can put the pieces back together again and give you the hope, peace, and the joy you seek. Hear me. I am not saying that things will be easy. I am saying that you will have someone who will forgive you all your sins, give you a new start, bring you into fellowship with God, give you eternal life, and never leave you nor forsake you. What this means for us here on earth is that regardless of what we must endure, we will be able to endure it with peace and joy. Why? Because, “It is the LORD.” For those of us who God wants to use to serve others and be a blessing, be salt, and be light, in this dark, wicked, and corrupt, world, He will use us if we are willing. Why? Because, “It is the LORD.” I do not think that I have to spell out the bottom line here, but I will. Regardless of where we are in life, God has a desire that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9). He has a desire to use us for His glory and do great things in us and through us. However, we will fail miserably if we think that it is all about us, our talents, or our abilities. When we see the world succeeding, by the world’s standards, envy them not, and do not desire to have what they have (as Israel did) and sell ourselves short by desiring their king(s) over our KING. In this life, we can have heavenly success. We can experience true peace and joy, even in the midst of the toughest trials. We can overcome tremendous obstacles, regardless of how challenging, if we are willing to realize that it is not us, “It is the LORD.”

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).