Isaiah 41:8-9 – Comfort for God’s People
In these verses God speaks to His own people. First, God names the people of God by their forefathers and starts out with him who was given a new name. He had been Jacob, but many years later, God gave him a new name, Israel — that is, the one who wrestles with God. He was no longer looking out for himself as number one, but was seeking to serve God. The true people of God were just like their forefather. They had striven, they’d fought against sin, and they were now God’s servant.
They are named after Jacob the one whom God had chosen, and God is now speaking to the people He had chosen to Himself. God does not choose them because they are lovely, nor does He ever choose anyone because they are lovely, because left to ourselves, we are not. God chooses believers not because of what we are, but because of what He is. This should be a comfort to you. For God’s love is not dependent upon who you are or upon what you do. It is dependent upon His unchanging plan, His eternal decree. It is based upon His unchanging grace.
We see that they are named after Abraham, the friend of God. The Lord Jesus said to his disciples, ‘you are my friends.’ We are his friends as well. And we share in the same promises given to Abraham.
Not only are they called, but they are consecrated, as we see in verse 9. God has taken them and made them special and set apart. God continues to do this with His people, even today, including you. We are set apart for Him, and for His pleasure, and for His glory (Ephesians 1:4-6, 11-12).
God has called you, believer; not you alone, but you as part of His people, you as part of the bride of Christ, although you particularly. And He has set His love upon you, a love that cannot, that will not ever fade or end, and that will bring about transformation in your life that will be making you more holy, that will be making you more Christ-like. God will never let you go because He loves you with a love that does not fail, that does not change. He will deliver us because we are called by Him and consecrated to His glory.
Questions
- Why does God choose us to save?
- What are we consecrated to do?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks that you have been called by Christ.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.