Isaiah 43:11-12

NASB	NLT	VOICE
11 I, only I, am the Lord, And there is no savior besides Me.	11 I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior.	11 I, I am the Eternal; there is no Savior except for Me,
12 It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no strange god among you; So you are My witnesses, declares the Lord, “And I am God.	12 First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God,” says the Lord.	12 I alone told that this victory would happen. THen I saved you and made it known. No other god worked among you – You know the truth. You can testify that it is so; as I declare, I alone am God.

A Reminder They Needed

In the context of Isaiah, God is addressing the Israelites in exile, reminding them that God is their god and God is powerful. God is the ultimate authority over all creation. Israel often looked to other nations and their gods for help – but YHWH is their God, and only He is their Savior. This was a reminder that salvation comes only from YHWH, as seen with the coming of Jesus. The New Testament shows us that Jesus would be God’s fulfilling promise of salvation. 

A Reminder We Need

Very simple: knowing that God is our only Savior should give us assurance and peace. There’s no one else that we have to contend for. No one else that we are called to follow. No one else provides us the same spiritual guidance and wisdom. We often try to replace God with different things like relationships, careers, influence, and money – but those are only “successful” in the short term. YHWH is eternal. YHWH is with us at all times. YHWH is irreplaceable. YHWH must remain our focus

Israelites Remember Their Place

As mentioned, God is talking to the Israelites in their exile. God is reminding them of the importance of their role in history. God is showing his power and authority, reminding them that He was going to rescue them. God delivered Israel from Egypt. God shares His will and His purposes. God alone is responsible for Israel’s past, present, and future. God distinguishes himself from the idols in surrounding nations. Israel often was tempted by the gods of neighboring people. Israel is to be God’s witness, testifying to God’s acts and God’s character. Israel’s experiences and the recorded Scripture serves as that testimony to God’s faithfulness and power. To be witnesses, means to affirm God’s truth to the world. The statement that “I am God” is a reminder of God’s unique position as the Creator and Sustainer of everything.

My Place in God’s Story So Far

Christians are called to live in a way that reflects who God is and how He has worked in your life. It’s not just about your story, but how you carry yourself as well. For me, my story begins when I was 18-19. Now, I grew up in the church. I was involved in the church in many different ways when I was a kid and a teenager. However, I never fully “got it.” I never quite understood what it meant to be a Christian. In my late teens, I was struggling with some church leadership, so I went to a different church for a bit. I needed to get away and refresh. The pastor I heard there changed my life. I remember asking to meet him and having a true heartfelt conservation. I remember asking: “I’m not even sure I believe anymore.” From there, my life kind of spiraled. Things at my home church got a little better, but my personal life got more chaotic. I learned that my grandpa wasn’t doing well. He needed 24 hour care. So I moved in to take care of him. I had a lot of house work to make everything accessible for him and then we were roommates. Things were going well at the start, but when I started getting back to school – things struggled. I struggled. My grandpa struggled. We were at odds. His health was declining. November 1st, 2014 – he fell, hit his head, and had to go to the hospital. From there, he had to go to a nursing facility and eventually passed in March 2015. During that time, I blamed myself. I could have done more. What did I do wrong? All of those thoughts were swirling around in my head. I ended up going to therapy for the first time as a result because I was okay, but something wasn’t. The church family surrounded me, prayed for me and my family, and showed me…God was there. God was present way more in that time than I realized. God kept me going. God kept my attitude up when I couldn’t. God rescued me from the temptations of harm. God continued my story into a decade-long journey into youth and children’s ministry. It taught me how to handle adversity when I was in the middle of my sextortion incident. It taught me how to listen and care for others when I prepare taxes for others. God taught me a lot about myself in this journey. It taught me how to study, teach, share, and preach his message – learning and adapting through the different seasons of life I was in. I love Scripture for that – I could read this passage today and have a completely different takeaway tomorrow. God’s word is always present, and it may have taken 12-13 years, but I’m starting to get it. I can’t wait to see what the next 50-60 years look like. 

Reflection Question

I think with the subject of today’s devotional. I only have two questions to ask:

1. What’s your story? 
2. How do you live out your story?

Call to Action

Read John 14:6. Thank God for making no other way to get through life. Be thankful for all the work that God has done in your life so far. Ask God: “What else can I do? How can I be a better creation for you?” Listen for what responses come out. 

Check out the next slice of manna: Manna for the Mind #283