God’s surprising plan
This is what the Lord says—the Holy One of Israel and your Creator: “Do you question what I do for my children? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands? I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at my command. I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose, and I will guide his actions. He will restore my city and free my captive people—without seeking a reward! I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”...‘God is with you, and he is the only God. There is no other.’” Truly, O God of Israel, our Savior, you work in mysterious ways. Isaiah 45:11-15 NLT
In our culture right now, the ones who are admired are those that are famous because of their intellectual prowess, success in business, or famous in the field that they are known for. This is despite their being deviant in their morality. As long as you are famous, no matter how wrong your ideals are you will be looked up to. But that will not always be the case. From the text, Isaiah is saying that it will be God’s people whom He will have to rule over others. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Since the Babylonian captivity, the Israelites felt that they were defeated as well as their God. Yet God through Isaiah reminded them that that is not the case. God is not withdrawn and that they should not give up their hopes for there will be a time that God will fulfill the completion of the salvation He promised. Right now, Christian faith might seem to be a mockery to the popular culture but that will not always be the case. The message of the cross to this world as Paul described, “...is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). God will make His presence known through the lives of those who have trusted Him as their Lord and Savior. His beauty and strength will be real in the lives of those that are following Him so that in the end, even those who call themselves famous and privileged will acknowledged that “God is in those who calls on the only God” (Isaiah 45:14). As Isaiah said, “our Savior, you work in mysterious ways” (Isaiah 45:15). The ways of God are unexpected especially “to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks,” for in them resides “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (I Corinthians 1:24).
Blessings,
