The Lord Will Go Before You
"I will go before you and make the mountains flat.
I will break down the bronze gates of the cities and cut through their iron bars.
I will give you the wealth that is stored away and the hidden riches
so you will know I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by name."
- Isaiah 45:2-3 -
Today, as I write this devotion, I am overwhelmed with memories of many circumstances in which I stood stagnated, unable to move beyond. I can recall that these stagnations were not due to my disinterest to move forward, but entirely to my fear of what lies ahead! Unsure of the situation and consequences, I would stand there, needing assurance. Does this strike a similar memory in your life? I find this a common struggle among many of us, and we all need assurance. Maybe you are in a similar situation today as well. If so, hold on. The Lord is promising you something extraordinary today - an assurance you have been waiting for.
In Isaiah 45: 2-3, we read God's assurance-filled promise to Cyrus, the King of Persia, when God called him to go and release the Jews from Babylonian exile. Indeed, this was an extraordinary calling in Cyrus's life, which had an extraordinary assurance attached to it. God wanted Cyrus to know that the God of Israel, who is giving him a special calling, is all-powerful, all-mighty, all-assuring and all-caring. Line by line, phrase by phrase, we could interpret and see the wonderful assurance and promise God has in these verses, not only for King Cyrus thousands of years before, but for all of us even today.
God says, "I will go before you and make the mountains flat," which assures that the Lord will go before us and make the path towards the mission possible and smooth. And then, God also says, "I will break down the bronze gates of the cities and cut through their iron bars," which again assures us God's power to break all obstacles in the place where the mission is to be completed. And finally, God says, "I will give you the wealth that is stored away and the hidden riches," which promises that God will reward in that place with blessings that the plain eyes of the world cannot see.
Therefore, we are assured that the Lord will go before us, and we also learn of the three things the Lord will do when He goes before us. God will make the mountains flat, He will break down the bronze gates of the cities and cut through their iron bars, and He will give us the wealth that is stored away and the hidden riches.
Yes! The Lord who has called you by name and for a special purpose/mission will go before you, and when He goes before you, first, He will flatten every obstacle that is on the way towards your calling, let it be a stone or even a mountain, He will make the path smooth for you.
Second, the Lord will already be at the place where you are called to be, and since He has gone before you, He will ensure that every strong obstacle that is set before you in the mission destination is broken and prepared. His mighty power will move and work even before you have reached that place. What was impossible for others will look so possible for you because God has gone there before you, and He has broken barriers for you.
Thirdly, let us remember that in the place where we are called, the Lord will bless us with His richest and choicest blessings. It's important to remember at this point that God promises us blessings that are stored away and hidden. Does the depth of the promise strike you? Yes. These are not blessings that we would have seen before we arrived. These are not blessings that our human mind, with its own limitations, would have ever imagined. These blessings are not to be seen outwardly, but only realised when God takes them from the hidden treasures and blesses us.
Today, the Lord is assuring you. He is promising you. The Lord Will Go Before You! Yes. Do not be afraid. Do not feel stagnated. Do not feel anxious about the next steps. Do not be troubled about what is there in your destination. The Lord will go before you and will flatten, break and bless you in the place He has called you to go, the work He has called you to, and the blessing He wants you to be in His kingdom. Keep the step today as an assured child of God.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us, now and forever more. Amen.
May God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
Ebenezer Breman Veerasingam
"The Blessings🎶"
by Indian Gospel Singers & Worship Leaders
