"I WILL STRENGTHEN THEE!"

Isaiah 41:8-11         (KJV)
"8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish."

A few days back I wrote using this scripture as my focal passage.  On that day, I wrote that Dr. Charles Stanley had said in an interview that sometimes he had to read the same scripture for days, even weeks, to get everything out of it that GOD was trying to tell him.  Well, just because I write about something doesn't mean that GOD has completed my lesson!

Going back this morning, I was reading over my past writings. I was amazed at the things I seemingly glossed over, or omitted, when I previously wrote about "being chosen".   This morning it became even more clear to me how Israel (Jacob) was not only chosen, he was created for GOD's purpose and glory!  GOD knew Jacob's faults before He created him, yet GOD created him anyway.  GOD knew the sins and failures Jacob (Israel) would commit, and yet HE blessed him (them) anyway.

GOD uses even the least of us for HIS purpose and HIS glory.  Esther was used in the Old Testament to prevent the Jews from being extinguished.  Her cousin, Mordecai, told Esther who knows "whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14)!   Nobody knows the plan GOD has for our lives. In 1 Corinthians 2:11 (ESV) the bible says  "For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the THOUGHTS of GOD except the SPIRIT OF GOD."

The enemy has been defeated already, but he wants to take as many into eternal damnation as he can.  Ephesians 6:12 (KJV) says "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against PRINCIPALITIES, against POWERS, against the rulers of the DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD, against SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS in HIGH PLACES."

The battle for hearts and minds is ongoing. Although I am one on HIS CHOSEN, I have to be on guard for the attacks of the enemy on my heart and mind. "I WILL STRENGTHEN THEE" is a promise!  Don't debate whether HE will sustain you.  Claim it!