You Were Thought of Thousands of Years Ago

Blog Layout

You Were Thought of Thousands of Years Ago

Andrea Lende • June 7, 2022

Matthew 12:18-21

You Were Thought of Thousands of Years Ago

You can listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/You-Were-Thought-of-Thousands-of-Years-Ago-e1jl832

Matthew 12:18-21

Behold, My Servant Whom I have chosen, My Beloved in and with Whom My soul is well pleased and has found its delight. I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall proclaim and show forth justice to the nations.

He will not strive or wrangle or cry out loudly; nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets;

A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering (dimly burning) wick He will not quench, till he brings justice and a just cause to victory.

And in and on His name will the Gentiles (the people outside of Israel) set their hopes.

These words were first written by the prophet Isaiah almost three thousand years ago.

Can you imagine you were thought of that many years ago?

Matthew recorded these same words in his book as well.

Jesus was chosen by God to be His Servant.

God put His Spirit upon Him as He walked this earth.

Our Scripture today gives us a glimpse into God’s Spirit.

Isaiah prophesied that Jesus wouldn’t strive, wrangle, or cry out loudly.

God’s Spirit is one of peace, calm, and quiet.

He wrote Jesus wouldn’t break a bruised reed.

We are all bruised and broken.

But God sent His Son to heal the broken.

Isaiah also wrote Jesus wouldn’t harm the one who is barely hanging on; the one whose light is fading.

He came to bring Light to the world, not extinguish it.

Lastly, Jesus came to give us hope.

We, the Gentiles, are specifically mentioned in Isaiah’s prophecy, “And in and on His name will the Gentiles (the people outside of Israel) set their hopes.”

We were thought of before the world began, prophesied about three thousand years ago, and are deeply loved today.

Our hope is in the One Who came to save us.

Our hope is in the eternal not in the finite things of this world.

Today I choose to keep my eyes on Jesus and hope in Him.

May you find the Lord loves you magnificently, is watching over you today, and will watch over all your tomorrows.

Daily Prayer:

O Lord, thank You for thinking of us before the world began. Thank You for speaking life over us thousands of years ago. Thank You for Your plan to save us and give us hope. You sent Your Son to live for us, die for us, and justify us. Thank You, Lord. Thank You for never letting us out of Your sight or Your thoughts. And thank You for granting us eternity with You. Help keep our eyes fixed on You and our eternal place with You. Don’t let us be held captive by the world. We are free in Christ! May You fill us to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit. Help us bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing our prayer.

Answer: I AM with you today, tomorrow, and will be for eternity.

Response: Help us focus on You today, Lord. Amen

< Older Post

Newer Post >

All Things New

By Andrea Lende • December 30, 2022

We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.

Using Words to Bless Others

By Andrea Lende • December 29, 2022

This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.

What Can We Give Up in the New Year?

By Andrea Lende • December 28, 2022

As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.

The Kingdom of God

By Andrea Lende • December 28, 2022

I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.

Strengthened With the Might of the Lord

By Andrea Lende • December 27, 2022

Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.

God Will Be Our Guide

By Andrea Lende • December 26, 2022

This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.

Unto Us A Child Is Born

By Andrea Lende • December 24, 2022

God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.

God's Divine Plan

By Andrea Lende • December 22, 2022

The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.

Restored to God's Favor

By Andrea Lende • December 21, 2022

What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.

This is a picture of red Christmas balls and the words Merry Christmas

God's Power

By Andrea Lende • December 20, 2022

Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.