Know that whatever happens today, nothing can thwart the purposes of our Sovereign God. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 26 Q. What do you believe when you say, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth”? A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence, is my God and Father because of Christ his Son. I trust him so much that I do not doubt he will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and he will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends me in this sad world. He is able to do this because he is almighty God; he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father. Summary The story of God's covenant people in the Old Testament is one episode after another of their pagan neighbors threatening their security. While it's true that at times God enabled these nations to rise up against His sinful people in order to punish them, God would consistently answer the Israelites' prayers for salvation when they finally came around. This section of the book of Isaiah is full of God's promises for deliverance, containing oracles against powerful enemies like Babylon and Moab. This particular passage concerning God's promise to crush Assyria is one of the shortest passages in this section, but it's also one of the most pointed and significant. God, through His prophet Isaiah, reminds His people - Israel then, and us now - that whatsoever God plans and purposes will happen, because there is no created being powerful enough to thwart Him or turn back His outstretched hand (v24 & 27). Dig Deeper We refer to this doctrine of God's absolute dominance using several different terms, but among the most common are the words omnipotent, meaning all powerful, and sovereignty. Sometimes we refer to a king or other head of state as being a sovereign, meaning they have total control over their domain. Simply put, God always gets what He wants. Understanding the concept of God's sovereignty is essential to properly understand Christian theology. We see it in every major theme in the Bible: yesterday we saw that God powerfully spoke reality into being through His Son; God demonstrates His righteous authority by cursing Adam's sin; God's omnipotence is made clear by raising Christ from the dead; and the Bible ends with God sovereignly establishing a new heavens and earth. People tend to be skeptical of promises, because they are so easy to make but hard to keep. Know that you can absolutely trust the promises God has made to you, because passages like this one in Isaiah demonstrate that He not only has the desire to make good on the promises He made, but the omnipotent ability to follow through on them as well, just as He did for Israel time and time again. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our powerful, omnipotent, sovereign God: no one can thwart Him; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for reminders like today's passage that build up your trust in His sovereignty. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 26

A maskil.  1   Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2   Blessed Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 1: The Regenerate Not Entirely Notice how these strophes progress: STROPHE THEME 1 (v1-2) The key to happiness is having sins forgiven Today: 1 John 5

Of David the servant of the Lord. 1  I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness   Continue your love ( ḥěʹ·sěḏ ) to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11 Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 1: The Effect of the Fall on Human Nature Human beings were originally created in the image Today: Colossians 1

Bible.com Psalm 95 1  Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation in the wilderness, 9  where your fathers tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. 10   So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God shows His sovereign love in the It repeats the first imperative three times: 1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; 2  Let us come

Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God These themes are almost identical to the themes John poetically unpacks in his prologue (1:1-18). Today: Mark 15

Nathan Dumlao, via Unsplash Psalm 93 (NIV) 1 The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God Today: Mark 13

Of Asaph. 1  Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God For “all his works are known to God from eternity” ( Acts 15:18 ; Eph. 1:11 ).  He genuinely wants all people to return to Him ( 1 Timothy 2:4 ). Today: Acts 12

A song. 1   May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—  2   so that your ways Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 15: Responses to God's grace God does not owe grace to anyone.  Today: 1 Timothy 3

Photo: Hendrik Morkel, via Unsplash Psalm 86 A prayer of David. 1  Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. 12  I will praise Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Here it is from the NET Bible : 11  O Lord, teach me how you want me to live. Today: 1 Corinthians 12

Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Today: 1 Corinthians 1