No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. Isaiah 54:17 KJV
In order to fully grasp the message in today's extract, it is important to look at the verse that comes just before it: I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. That is a God of both creation and direction, as well as the God of purpose and impact. He makes it clear that all things, as long as he created them, answers to him. He is in charge of all things, even those things that naturally speak of disaster and ruin. If God can command things such as the smith, as well as the weapons of his creation, his tools, and he can determine the power and reach of the waster, then what is the thing that can threaten the peace of mind of the person who is under God's protection? That is the message in today's extract.
God is saying: If I have created the smith, all his mind can conceive is under my control. He can think up any instrument for war or destruction, but I am the one who defines its impact and direction. A skilled warrior can prepare well for battle, but victory is of me. It is not in the multitude of bombs, or marksmen, but in total submission to the perfect will of God. So, let the skilled smith labour and plan; at the end, all he is and does answer to me. That is why NO WEAPON formed against me shall prosper. It is the purpose of God for the waster to waste and destroy, and the weapons may be applied for other things and other people, and unfortunately they may hit the mark, but as long as they are targeted at the one who is the servant of the Lord, in the middle of God's perfect will, and doing what God desires, God says the weapons will NOT prosper.
Also, there is a tongue that may rise against me in judgment, seeking to condemn. The role of the tongue is to speak, and like God, all who are made in his likeness have power in the tongue. God spoke the world into being by the power of his word, and because he has given me the same power, I carry a sense of responsibility for how I use words. For the tongue that speaks against the purpose of God in my life, God says I will condemn. I have been given that power by God, and it matters how I use it. I cannot be speaking evil into another person's life and expect God to defend me against another person's wrong use of words. That which I desire, I must first give. My own tongue must not rise in judgment and I must not fashion a weapon against another person, if I will lay hold of the promises that have been made by God in today's extract.
I believe the most important part of the portion above is to sort out my identity. I need to know if I am truly a servant of God, or one who is yet to sort out his/her identity, purpose and direction in life. Identity controls life, its application, purpose and direction. The intention of the forger of weapons is not as important as the plan and purpose of God for my life. Let all men speak; as long as God has not yet spoken, it really does not matter what men have to say. Once God speaks, it still does not matter what men have to say. It is what God says then that has to be my daily focus; it has to be my pursuit and priority at all times.
Every person would have to take hold of God's personal message for him/her. What God has to say to me on a matter may not always be what he has to say to you on the same matter, because his plan and purpose for every life is different. I must seek God out for that which is His Word for me. I got no life to imitate, except to follow after God's plan for me. When I surrender totally to God, the above becomes my heritage from him. I do not need to defend myself; God does that all by himself. All that I am and have flow out of who He is and has. My righteousness is of God, not from my bank account balance, my circle of influence, or my connections. God does not need any of these to make a point; I just need to be sure that I am where God wants me to be, doing what he wants me to be doing, so that I can reflect all that he is, and all praise and glory can be given to Him. Is that who and what I am now? Is God in charge of my life? Am I saved? Am I his child? These are questions on eternity, which I must answer before the time of God's judgement comes. I must respond now, as God's time of favour is here.
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