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
The Context and Charge:
As always, the character and reputation of the person who makes statements like the one in today's extract would determine if the person can be trusted. God speaks here, laying out his ownership and possession of all that is used to make weapons or to speak in authority over situations. He is so powerful that even that which should cause disaster and pain are all under His control. If He controls them, they answer to Him and work as He directs. That is authority; pure and unadulterated. You can't fight that kind of power; you just submit to it.
What makes it even so amazing is the fact that God, the speaker here, knows the mind of the forger of the weapon. Men can plot and scheme; sometimes, even forge weapons with a name to it. The devil knows our location, and if we are the servants of the Lord, he needs to get us to change location so he can apply his schemes. Think of this: all men on earth were subject to the power of sin at birth, but the day I surrender my life to Jesus, I change location, destiny and ownership. I cannot claim the promises here unless and until I am truly a servant of the Lord.
The Contention and Conclusion:
How can God keep someone who does not accept His authority? For a servant of God, no weapon formed against me shall prosper, but I must never lose connection with the one with the power to keep and preserve. Men can speak as, when and what they please, but as long as my life pleases God, no plan of the enemy can succeed over my life. Now, you may wonder why servants of God lose their lives sometimes; the story of Stephen and Saul makes it clear that the way God works is fundamentally different from the way man thinks.
At the end, God makes his will and purpose clear: He is God. He keeps; He protects; He guides. He is a refuge and fortress to all who have come to trust in Him. It does not matter how the story of my life goes; if I am in Christ, I will end well. Even when the weapons seem to be made specifically for me, with my name on it, God is able to turn them away, and give me victory. He is able to write the story of my life the way He pleases, and which will glorify Him. That understanding must keep me focused on God; He is all I need. If I serve Him, He will keep me. That is my heritage - my right, my benefit, the fruit of my relationship with God. God's time of favour is here.
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