The LORD God said in Isaiah 45: 22-23, Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear”. God’s reasons for asking us to turn to him are explained in the above quotation as follows:
In order to save us
God wants us to be saved from all situations or circumstances everywhere, physically or spiritually. We all have challenges from which we wish to be free. Because many of our challenges are not made known publicly, we wrongly assume all is well with others but that is not the truth.
To those with daunting challenges in life, God says in Exodus 33: 14, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” To those being pursued by enemies, God says in 2 Samuel 7: 11, I will give you rest from all your enemies. To those burdened in any other way, Jesus said in Matthew 11: 28, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
We turn to God when we call upon his name in good and bad times. The disciples said in Acts 2: 21, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. God’s invitation is to everyone, not some people. God’s words in Isaiah 45: 22-23 is to “all the ends of the earth” meaning all people on earth wherever we may be. God’s offer to turn to him is affirmed in Romans 10: 13, For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Sworn by his word to save
It is clear in Isaiah 45: 22-23 that God has sworn to save us by his word. He says by myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return. God does what he says and will not reverse his word. God sent Christ Jesus because he had long committed himself in righteousness to save the world. God’s words of saving grace will prevail in our lives and situations always.
Israel is encouraged in Deuteronomy 31: 6, be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the LORD your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. (Read also verse 8). God commits to his promises. Israel praised God in 1 Kings 8: 56, blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised; not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke through his servant Moses. This confirms God’s truthfulness to all generations.
We sometimes for no reason fail to trust God’s words of promise. However, Isaiah 40: 26 says lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing. If we know who God is, we would turn to him for as Isaiah says he is great, mighty and protective.
In acknowledging this fact, Lamentations 3: 22 said the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. God renews and affirms his promises daily unto those who wait upon him. Join us to turn to the unfailing God.
God has authority above all powers
God has authority over every power so he wants us to turn to him in battle. It is recorded in Isaiah 45: 22-23 … “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear”. Paul reiterates in Romans 14: 11, For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” He said in Philippians 2: 10 at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
We cannot fight the battle alone. We must turn to God through Jesus Christ. Paul says in Ephesians 6: 12, For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. These powers are not visible to the naked eye yet fight against us all day. This is why God wants us to turn to him always to save us. Are we ready to turn to God?
God will save us from every need that diverts our attention from him. Paul said in Philippians 4: 19, my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Our knees must also bow to Christ Jesus at the mention of his name because we are also clothed in sin. Our tongues must also confess Jesus as Lord so we may be saved. What situation Jesus cannot save?
How can we turn to God?
In explaining what it means to turn to him, the bible says in Proverbs 28: 18 one who walks in integrity will be safe, but whoever follows crooked ways will fall into the Pit. We turn to God with reverence in righteousness to be saved by grace through faith. The world seems to be losing its integrity fast. In today’s world, right is wrong and wrong is right. We cannot attain righteousness on our own. God hates crooked people.
God sent Christ Jesus to save us even to the point of death with his blood. Paul said in Romans 3: 24 they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God’s grace is a gift through Christ Jesus. It is freely given and not earned by works. He said in Ephesians 2: 8 , 5 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.
God will save us through Christ Jesus irrespective of our status. It is written in Isaiah 1: 18 Come now, let us argue it out, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall become like wool. Jesus said in John 10: 10, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. Isaiah calls us to turn to God for the transformation which we need in life here and hereafter.
Whilst in Egypt under slavery, God assured the people of Israel in Exodus 6: 6-7, “I am the LORD, and I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians and deliver you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. You shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has freed you from the burdens of the Egyptians. God’s promise is to all who will turn to him. Will we turn to Jesus now? He invites us by his Holy Spirit with love, grace and mercy.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, we turn to you today to be saved by your precious blood from our iniquities and the burden which we carry. Save our children and generations unborn so that it may be well with them. Preserve us in your blood by the power of your Holy Spirit. we pray in your blessed name, Amen!!
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