Dear Church of the Open Bible,
The truth can be hard to swallow sometimes. A couple of days ago, one of my sons was beaten by a girl in an arm wrestle. She won fair and square, and besides a mumbled excuse here and there, he took it well. Yesterday, another of my sons lost in the semifinals at our Awana Grand Prix. He despaired of staying any longer after, asking, “What’s the point?” He did recover, snacks and friends can help a lot with that. But the truth can be hard to swallow sometimes.
One of the most foundational truths, the backbone of reality, can be especially difficult for us to come to terms with. Here it is expressed powerfully in the Lord speaking to Cyrus:
“I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD and there is no other.” - Isaiah 45:5-6
There is only one God, and you are not Him. This truth can be tough to swallow, but not only for someone who does not know God. It can be difficult for believers too, who have a bend towards pretending we are in control and determine the purpose of our lives. Have you acknowledged this about the Lord today? Have you not merely swallowed this truth but praised God for it? Next week we will look at the purposes that stem from Him alone being God, but let’s start with the foundation.