The Lord Has Done It

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Scripture: Isaiah 26:12 (NIV)

Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished, you have done for us.

Devotion:

With these words, Isaiah points out that all our accomplishments are either due to the gifts and talents the Lord has given to us or His sovereign will. How often we blame God when things go poorly for us while insisting that we accomplish anything positive all on our own. Isaiah here is challenging that mindset. God Himself gives us success and peace, and is the source of all blessings. We should give God praise for all He does for us, and ask for strength and courage when things go against us.

This short verse should reorient our view of reality, instead of a “me” based outlook. We must develop a God-based outlook. If we can do this, we will naturally be at peace with the world and with ourselves. This is because we would have to give up controlling and planning our lives and allow God to be in charge. We should rely more on God than on ourselves. Resting in God will stop our endless striving and lead to a more peaceful outcome for our lives.

In this passage, Isaiah acknowledges that his every accomplishment is God’s doing and not his own. If we can apply this truth to our own lives, this can be an amazingly freeing idea. If we are obedient to God, the results belong to Him. I recently offered a worship opportunity in the senior community where I live; it was not well attended, but I sensed peace because I had obeyed God in offering it to the people. While my blog has been very successful in my eyes, that is God’s doing and not my own. God was teaching me that I need to view success and failure through His eyes, not my own.

When we learn to see God’s hand in our lives, we begin to cultivate humility and thanksgiving. When that happens, we learn that gratitude is a gift from God that will grow from daily practice and lead to a healthy dependence on God as the foundation for our lives. This will shift our focus from anxiety to an attitude of worship because of what God has done for us.

With this God-established peace, we can make progress in courage rather than fear. Our confidence in God roots our lives and produces a calm and steady approach to life that does not depend on outward circumstances but on the promise of God-with-us. This kind of dependence keeps us full of prayer, humility, and sharpens our awareness of God’s presence. Our lives will become witnesses to His faithfulness.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for being the one who establishes peace in our lives. Teach us to rest in Your faithful work rather than our own strength. Help us to see Your hand in every good thing. May we always walk in gratitude and trust in You. May all we accomplish today be a witness to Your great love and mercy. And may all we do bring glory to Your name. Amen.

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