POWER OF THE WRITING HAND (2)

“…Another will WRITE with his HAND, ‘The Lord’s’ and name himself by the name of Israel” – Isaiah 44:5b

GOD wants His children to appreciate and apply the POWER of the WRITING HAND: “One will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; another will WRITE with his HAND, ‘The Lord’s,’ and name himself by the name of Israel” (Isa.44:5). It is in the nature of the redeemed to eagerly declare himself or herself as belonging to the Lord: “One will say, ‘I am the Lord’s…” (v.5a). He or she delights to be called by the name of Jacob –identify with God’s people (v.5b); and be permanently BRANDED in WRITING as belonging to the Lord (v.5c). Psalm 87:5 says, “And of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her; and the Most High Himself shall establish her.”

In Isaiah 44, the LORD, the Redeemer, promised to pour out His Spirit; hence Israel had no cause for fear. He reminded Jacob that He, the Creator who made and formed him from the womb and chose him, will also be His Helper (vv.1-2). His Help would primarily come through the outpouring of His Spirit (vv.3-4). God is still active in and responsible for His creation. He didn’t just create Adam and Eve and then abandon creation. Here, the Lord called Jacob by the name “Jeshurun” which means “the upright one;” one in whom there is no guile. This name signifies a wonder of grace: God calls His deeply sinful people His beloved – His upright one! Also, God promised humble, returning Israel, to POUR OUT – not just give – His Life-giving Spirit and Blessing of refreshing on them as if water was poured over them.

A key effect of the poured-out Spirit is Identification with the Lord. We become more keenly aware that we belong to the Lord, and we aren’t afraid to SAY and WRITE IT! We want everybody to know we belong to Him, and He, to us. The Holy Spirit is the identifying Seal upon the Believer: “In whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph.1:13b). We can affirm like Israel, that the Lord alone is God: “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God” (v.6). No one else can proclaim as He does and cause such proclamation to be WRITTEN indelibly as a witness to generations: “And who can proclaim as I do? Then let him declare and set it in order for Me” (v.7a)

By Grace, God enlists every Believer as a generational Witness to His Sovereignty: “You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one” (v.8). Our Lord Jesus Christ reaffirmed: “But you shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be WITNESSES to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The power to witness is a product of God’s poured-out Spirit. And, a most effective means of Witnessing is by the Power of the Writing Hand – PUBLISHING! Believers in Christ must intensify on this transgenerational mission of communication: “So we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will give thanks forever; we will declare and PUBLISH Your praise from generation to generation” (Psa.79:13, AMP).

As God pours His Spirit on His people, the effect is a prevailing disposition to publicly profess and publish our identity with Christ, without fear or timidity: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who PUBLISHES Peace; who brings good news of happiness, who PUBLISHES Salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns” (Isa.52:7, ESV). “The Lord gave the Word: great was the company of those that PUBLISHED it.” (Psa.68:11, KJV). The Holy Spirt empowers us to PUBLISH our Faith through varied spoken and written forms. All of these – devotionals, tracts, letters, books, audio, video, blogs, and diverse social media – begin with the Writing Hand!