Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Have you ever had times where it felt like no one actually recognized the good things you were doing? Like the only thing you're hearing is the negative—or you’re not even getting any recognition, any acknowledgment that you're doing anything good or right. You just hear negativity, and people continue to pile on with more and more expectations, wanting more and more out of you. I think we've all experienced that at some level in our lives—maybe it's a season you're in right now. I would love to use that lens as we dig into our Verse of the Day today.
Just so you know, before I get to the verse—God convicted my heart so strongly with this. Please don't take it that I'm just stepping on your toes. My toes have been stomped on with this verse too.
Isaiah chapter 46, verse 9. This is what it says: "Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like Me."
We Do This to God
"Remember the things I have done in the past." When we think about that scenario I was just describing—where people don't recognize the good things we've done, and all we hear is negativity, and they just seem to want more and pile on—do you know what hit me with this verse? We can tend to do that to God. We forget the good things He's done, and all we continue to do is talk to Him about the negative stuff. You're not doing this. You're not meeting this need. What's going on? We just keep piling on instead of reflecting back. Now, God can receive that—He's got broad shoulders. But my goodness, if we can just look back and see the amazing things He has done in our lives.
When We Set It Down, It Stays There
In the context of this passage, I just want to read verses 6 through 8 of this chapter, because we're going to be stepping on some toes here. It says: "Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire craftsmen and make a god from it. Then they bow down and worship it. They carry it around on their shoulders, and when they set it down, it stays there. It can't even move. When someone prays to it, there is no answer. It can't rescue anyone from trouble." I'm going to modernize this a little bit—there's no translation here, I'm just going to make it a little too practical for us in our daily lives today. Bear with me. What if we modernized the verse to say this: "Some people pour out their money to buy a device. Then they spend all their time on it and can't live without it. They carry it around in their pocket or purse, and when they set it down, it stays there. It can't even move. And when someone prays to it, there is no answer. It can't rescue anyone from trouble."
He Alone Is God
Can you imagine if that were the passage? Then it goes on, the next verse says, "Remember the things I have done in the past, for I alone am God. I am God, and there is none like Me." I wonder if we started looking at everything in our life that's distracting us and drawing our attention away from our one true, most impactful, most powerful, Almighty, all-holy, unconditionally loving God—who has the greatest plan for us—whether we realize how consumed we can get by other things and distractions. God is saying, have you forgotten the good things that I've done in your life? Have you forgotten that those things you keep looking to—they can't truly answer you? They can't give you peace and joy and love. As God tells you today—and I had to reflect on this myself—He alone is God. Remember the good things He's done for you today. Turn to Him. May He be the dominant force in your life today, and remember all that He is to you.
