Isaiah 42

The Servant of the Lord

1 "Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him
and he will bring justice to the nations.

2 He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.

3 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope."

5 This is what God the LORD says—
he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:

6 "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,

7 to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

8 "I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols.

9 See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you."

Song of Praise to the Lord

10Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise from the ends of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,
you islands, and all who live in them.

11 Let the desert and its towns raise their voices;
let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela sing for joy;
let them shout from the mountaintops.

12 Let them give glory to the LORD
and proclaim his praise in the islands.

13 The LORD will march out like a mighty man,
like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;
with a shout he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.

14 "For a long time I have kept silent,
I have been quiet and held myself back.
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
I cry out, I gasp and pant.

15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
and dry up the pools.

16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them.

17 But those who trust in idols,
who say to images, 'You are our gods,'
will be turned back in utter shame.

Israel Blind and Deaf

18 "Hear, you deaf;
look, you blind, and see!

19 Who is blind but my servant,
and deaf like the messenger I send?
Who is blind like the one committed to me,
blind like the servant of the LORD ?

20 You have seen many things, but have paid no attention;
your ears are open, but you hear nothing."

21 It pleased the LORD
for the sake of his righteousness
to make his law great and glorious.

22 But this is a people plundered and looted,
all of them trapped in pits
or hidden away in prisons.
They have become plunder,
with no one to rescue them;
they have been made loot,
with no one to say, "Send them back."

23 Which of you will listen to this
or pay close attention in time to come?

24 Who handed Jacob over to become loot,
and Israel to the plunderers?
Was it not the LORD,
against whom we have sinned?
For they would not follow his ways;
they did not obey his law.

25 So he poured out on them his burning anger,
the violence of war.
It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand;
it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.

I tell you the truth, in all this the Lord has shown me even in dreams not to depend on people the most, even family. For God is our shelter, our provider, and He is the one we are here to serve. This does not mean dishonor parents or leaders. No! It means to put the Lord above all else, it is the same as "Trust the Lord with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding, in all ways acknolwedge Him"

Matthew 6:33 says "Seek first the kingdom of God, and all His righteousness, and all these things (desires of your heart) shall be added unto you."

The Lord has shown me that Satan throws many ideas, he even suggests that various people I do not know are enemies. Surely there are unknown enemies, but Satan would have us looking for enemies where there are none. There are none that can oppose us when we are in the Lord's will and ways, when we obey the Lord with all our heart. As we trust the Lord and follow Him, and keep proclaiming His Word and promises, and we surrender our fear to the Lord and only contain the fear of the Lord, we shall realize continuously that the Lord is with us!

The other night the Lord told a brother in Christ by His Holy Spirit to command the healing and straightening for my spine to be aligned properly, he prayed for me to gain weight, and for God to add muscle. That night my shoulder muscle was pulsating a lot after that.

Wednesday morning when I first woke up I don't remember much but i was tired so i went back to sleep. when i woke up, there was a rainbow on my ceiling. I do not remember ever seeing light reflection/refraction of a rainbow on the ceiling so it reminded me of God keeping His promises. he shows Noah a rainbow about promise not to flood the earth the same as He did in Genesis, but this rainbow matched with many verses he has shown me reminds me God is unchanging and always keeps His promises.

Then Wednesday morning I read this book about Joshua I found on my book shelf when God reminded me of it during prayer. Lately God keeps talking about Moses and Joshua, son of Nun. Joshua was told he would have Moses' role since Moses died. I thought when I read Joshua 1 when God gave it to me several weeks ago maybe i have role of Beth.. Beth was told that God will use her to bring many nations to repentance and to Him. I did not know whether that was something I would do too until now. For besides several mentioning of Moses and Joshua... Somebody contacted me for Christian help finding a person. Through my help they learned the person was dishonest and not good, but also they recommitted their life to Christ. Then after this happened, I suddenly read about somebody leading people to repentance.. thus it is confirmed I will also take the role Beth had combined with the ministries God will have me do. There is more significance about the book of Joshua. For God has been speaking to me about moving into "the promised land" which I believe in my case is about moving into God's promises.

Not only this, but during second morning reading of the Bible, after my second awakening, my shoulder once again pulsated. I felt I need to go lift hand weights. I have honestly not been exercising as much as I should and not lifted weights in several weeks probably. But i followed this leading to do so Wednesday morning. When I did I remember the guy prayed for God to supernaturally provide new strength, so I prayed that too. Do not confuse this with asking for super strength. It is not so. Simply given physical strength by God is all. I had been very tired and weak lately. But then when I followed this leading and prayed, I was able to lift longer than before. I believe God was helping me rebuild my muscles.

Several weeks ago God gave me many verses and has been confirming they are from Him several ways, even by giving me new verses as I am preparing to lead a Bible study, and I believe also it is relating to preparing for types of evangelism.

Isaiah 43

Israel's Only Savior

1 But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

3 For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush [a] and Seba in your stead.

4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.

5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.

6 I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'
and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.'
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth-

7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made."

8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf.

9 All the nations gather together
and the peoples assemble.
Which of them foretold this
and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
so that others may hear and say, "It is true."

10 "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.

11 I, even I, am the LORD,
and apart from me there is no savior.

12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God.

13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?"

God's Mercy and Israel's Unfaithfulness

14 This is what the LORD says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
"For your sake I will send to Babylon
and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians,
in the ships in which they took pride.

15 I am the LORD, your Holy One,
Israel's Creator, your King."

16 This is what the LORD says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,

17 who drew out the chariots and horses,
the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

18 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.



20 The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the desert
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,

21 the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise.

22 "Yet you have not called upon me, O Jacob,
you have not wearied yourselves for me, O Israel.

23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,
nor honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with grain offerings
nor wearied you with demands for incense.

24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me,
or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied me with your offenses.

25 "I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more.

26 Review the past for me,
let us argue the matter together;
state the case for your innocence.

27 Your first father sinned;
your spokesmen rebelled against me.

28 So I will disgrace the dignitaries of your temple,
and I will consign Jacob to destruction [c]
and Israel to scorn.