14 December 2022
Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
By myself I have sworn,
from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear.’
From Isaiah 45:6-8,18,21-25, NRSV
Isaiah’s words were addressed to the Hebrew people in exile. They would have experienced the ways in which their captors honoured multiple gods and prayed to them for protection. It is likely that some of the Hebrews were drawn into this practice themselves. Through the prophet Isaiah, God sought to call his people back and to remind them that they had and needed only one God. Despite the unfaithfulness of the people, God was steadfast in love and concern for them. Their salvation is to be found in this one, true and all powerful God – and all they needed to do was to turn back and to trust.
- How do suppose Isaiah’s words were received?
- What do Isaiah’s words mean for you?
You may like to take time in your prayer to reflect on the times when you have been aware of the power and majesty of God’s presence in your life.
