Isaiah - Chapter 45

God can use anyone! In this chapter He uses Cyrus (the only place a gentile ruler is said to be "annointed" by God) to accomplish His purposes. God will accomplish His purposes with us or without us. He will use whoever is willing.

Later in this chapter he talks about the created taking issue with the creator and how foolish that is. I love verse 24 which says "The Lord is the source of my righteousness and strength." I am created and am nothing that my creator hasn't made me to be. I know that I am a sinner saved my God's amazing grace. It is He who makes me righteous, but I am certainly not on my own! He is my strength, and I know this every day! I simply could not function without His power in my life.

Backing up to verse 23, when He says that "every knee will bow, and every tongue confess allegiance to my name" He is talking about more than belief. He is talking about being the Lord of the universe. Bowing down means total submission to Him. That is my desire. I want to totally submit and surrender to Him. I know that He is Lord, and that His plans are far superior to my own. I know that He loves me and has a great plan for me. Unfortunately, I get impatient and want do speed up the process. I think I know His plan and act, only to find out that I was wrong. Waiting on God is one of the hardest things for me to grasp and live out.

God is power, and the greatest demonstration of that power is His restraint of that power. He is Lord and could destroy whomever and whatever He chooses, yet He chooses to love us and desires a relationship with us. Because He is Lord, nothing else matters!