To Be Strong Be Right ... With God

Surely, shall one say, ‘In the Lord have I righteousness and strength.’ (Isa. 45:24)

Isa. 45:20-26, 44:6, 44:22, 46:5-10, and 40:31; Ps. 89:15-16; I Chron. 29:12; Phil. 2:5-11

What Is God Saying?

Isaiah brings a message from Jehovah to Cyrus, the great King of Persia- Jehovah is the one true God. Cyrus is being used to carry out God's purpose. He is even anointed for this. This is the only place in the Bible where a Gentile king is called God's Anointed. God is the Power over all powers, Lord of all that happens, all that is and all that will be. God told Cyrus, I am using you to carry out my program. I am not a wooden idol like the Babylonian god, Bel, or Nebo (private god of the royal family). They are ‘burdens to be carried on weary beasts’ (Isa. 46:1). No, I am Lord of history. ‘There is none beside Me’ (Isa. 45:21).

Cyrus was a powerful influence in God's hands. He ruled the greatest empire of his time and had the power to let God's people rebuild Jerusalem. He could and did set the exiles free, asking for nothing in return. Cyrus, a Gentile Ruler, did more for Israel than most of the kings in Israel and Judah.

How Does This Apply To Us?

Isaiah's word in our text is, ‘Only in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’ Made right with God, we will have strength in everything else. Righteousness (rightness) and strength go together. In the words of Tennyson, Sir Galahad says, ‘My strength is as the strength of ten because my heart is pure.’ From the time of Job, these words have been repeated, ‘O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer.’ With God, we prevail, without Him, we fail.

Pray With Me

Lord, You are my strength and my Redeemer, I turn to You in my need. I confess this need based on what I see in Your law. Even more, I confess this need based on what I see in Your love, the flawless example of Jesus. Through His example, I must acknowledge my need; through His love, I come into His presence. There I find assurance, not condemnation or rejection. There I find righteousness and strength. This is the glory of faith and the power of the Gospel-Christ for me that I may be right, Christ in me that I may be strong.

O living and loving Lord, I will keep unbroken my communion with You. The branch grows strong and prospers because it abides in the vine. So I abide in You. Through You I am strong. ‘Surely in the Lord have I righteousness and strength.’

For His glory and in His name is my prayer. Amen.

Moving On In The Life of Prayer

If we pray to be right with God, we will find the formula for being right with others; we will also be right with ourselves. ‘They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength’ (Isa. 40:31). They shall have the eagle's strength to soar. They shall have the runner's strength and not grow weary. They shall have the walker's strength to keep going, step by step. That's worth praying about. That's worth having. And that's what prayer (waiting on the Lord) will do.