I have not spoken in secret, In a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in vain’; I, the LORD, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. – Isaiah 45:19

Isaiah 45 begins with a vivid description of how the mighty nations of the world will come to destruction and be drawn to humility by God. It speaks of a time to come when the Labor of Egypt, the merchandise of Cush and men or stature of Sabean would fall before Israel and walk behind them because of their idol worship and hardness of heart. What would be your first reaction to hearing a word from God about Him bringing great nations like Russia, France and USA before Madagascar? You smirked a bit, didn’t you?

In our verse for today, we see the Lord publicly reaffirm his promise to bring Egypt and Cush, the then powerful nations of the world, behind Israel. “I have not spoken in secret, In a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in vain.’” Knowing how difficult it was for the children of Israel to walk in faith, God anticipated a lack of belief on their part, so He goes on to reassure them, “I, the LORD, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.”

Just like the children of Israel, many of us today would find it hard to believe that God would elevate us or bring a faithless leader, people and nation behind us. Many Christians make a habit of dispelling great dreams and prophecies because, sometimes, they seem too good to be true. Our verse for today connotes that those who seek the Lord do not do so in vain.  Our God is not one to meet our expectation, He exceeds it all the time; and those who call on the name of the Lord have more value in His eyes than idol worshippers. We must embrace this truth with all the humility there is. 

It is time to embrace every promise of God with our whole heart, no matter how impossible it may be from our viewpoint. Let us walk in the faith that we are extremely precious in God’s eye, and that we do not seek Him in vain. He, the lifter of men, is able to lift us above all else if He wants to. Amen.