The Holy One, Your Savior!
Scripture reading for July 9: Isaiah 43: 1-3 “But now thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, He Who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, the flame shall not consume you. For I Am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.””
As we continue to explore Scriptures in Isaiah where God declares His “I Am” Name to encourage His people, we come to His declaration that He is the “Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” The Holy One declares God’s perfection in every way. He created the universe and man in particular. He formed the nation of Israel from Abraham, His friend. He called them all by name. “Jacob” was originally a cheat and one who wrestled with God. God changed his name to “Israel” meaning subdued by God. The Holy One of Israel was with them to help even in their weakness.
God redeemed His people from slavery in Egypt. He called them out of Egypt and lead them through the rivers and waters and the fiery desert. He proved His holiness and love through becoming their Savior and Redeemer. He tested their faith through their deliverance. They learned through the experience of going through the deep waters and the fire that God’s presence would sustain them and save them. He truly was their Holy One and Savior present with them on their journey to their eternal home.
These precious Scriptures remind us today that God is our “Holy One” and our “Savior” in whatever trial we are encountering on our journey through life’s wilderness. There are no waters to deep to walk through with Him nor is there a fire too hot that the flames will hurt us. We have His Holy Word and He is with us through His Holy Spirit!
Prayer: Father God, thank You for encouraging us with these “I Am” reminders. As I walk through life, empower me to declare by faith my identity as Your child, called by name. Make me holy as You are Holy! Amen.
“I Am your God”
Scripture reading for July 8: Isaiah 41:8-10 “But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, My friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are My servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.””
Isaiah the prophet was speaking to the nation of Israel during a time of war and political upheaval. Many in Israel were fearful and had difficulty trusting that the Lord was with them. God spoke clearly to them to encourage them. They were not alone nor were they cast off by the Lord as they were saying.
Instead, Isaiah reminded them that they were chosen by God. They had a new identity because of the covenant God made with Abraham, a friend of God. God had not forgotten the covenant or His promises. God was working in the midst of the political turmoil to bring about His purposes and establish His people firmly in their inheritance in His forever family. God was with them and was their “I Am” to drive out fear and dismay. He would uphold them against their enemies. In fact, in this case, Cyrus of Persia would actually be used to restore God’s people (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1) back to their land. Political intrigue and powerful tyrants make for fear and frustration of those who fail to know God and His promises. But for those who know their God and trust that He is with them, they experience God’s right hand of help.
Believers today can come under attack from sickness, disease, or demonic power. They often live in fear and forget God’s promises. But God reminds His people that “I Am with you” and “I Am your God.” He gives us His Holy Spirit to encourage and strengthen us day by day.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your amazing presence with us each day. Forgive me when I have let my circumstances, my attitude, and my weaknesses define me and my understanding of You. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and faith to overcome and live as Your child. Amen.
The Everlasting God: Creator
Scripture reading for July 7: Isaiah 40:28-31 “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength. Even youths grow weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
As we continue to explore the God we love and serve, we find this familiar passage in Isaiah the prophet that begins with two questions. These questions were prefaced by God’s people questioning whether or not God was with them. They were saying that their situation was hidden from God and He did not understand what they were going through. But God knew their thoughts and answered their fears with questions that would open their hearts. Did they not know He was the Everlasting God? Did they not remember that He created them and all things?
God is the Everlasting God, the Creator of all. As God Almighty, He is never tired, weak or weary. He specializes in giving strength to the weak and reviving those who are fainting from the struggle to believe. This weariness and weakness is common to all mankind because of sin and sickness that resulted from man’s disobedience. As the Everlasting God, He has knowledge of everything, even beyond what we can think or imagine. God called His people to wait upon Him for renewal and restoration. He promised that all who would wait would renew their strength. They would even mount up like eagles after going through their annual time of waiting as God renewed their feathers and beaks and they could soar again. Our Creator is strong and loves us with an everlasting love.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your amazing understanding of our needs, weakness and struggles. Thank You that You are the Everlasting God Who never grows tired of us and our weaknesses. Help me as I wait upon You to find restoration in Jesus Christ, the Everlasting Son of God, my Savior. Amen!
“Be Still and Know”
Scripture reading for July 6: Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.” vs. 8-11 “Come, behold the works of the Lord, how He has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the chariots with fire. Be still and know that I AM God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
When we experience a disruption in our lives because of sickness, emotional breakdown, or unexpected war or trouble, it is good to remind ourselves about God. The psalmist was going through such a time in his own life. He composed this song as an offering of worship and it is now recorded in God’s Word as a revelation of Who our God is. It builds faith in our hearts as we read and receive the truths declared. We can declare that God is with us now and He is just what we need as our “I AM”.
First of all, God is our refuge and strength. He is always present with us in our trials and troubles. He is the “I Am” that we need when under attack. He is the commander of heaven’s armies (Lord of hosts) and our fortress, giving us His own glorious presence as a wall of fire around us. (Zechariah 2:5) He has already won the battle and we can boast in His victory. We can rejoice in His protection and presence.
I am encouraged that God fights my battles. I bring to mind previous victories. How wonderful that God makes wars to cease. He breaks bows and shatters the spears of enemies who seek my harm and death. He causes the chariots of my foes to be burned with fire or buries them in the sea with overwhelming waves. As I quiet my mind and encourage myself in remembering and recounting God’s mighty works of deliverance, the Holy Spirit reveals God’s eternal presence and power. The great “I AM” is exalted in my life, I declare Him among the nations, and say ‘amen’ to His Kingship over the whole earth!
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your declared presence with me now and always. Thank You for being my refuge and fortress in my time of trouble as well as the One Who fights for me and has defeated my enemies. Help me to be still and know that You are God! I exalt You as God over the earth! Amen.
Jehovah Jireh–God Provides
Genesis 22:13-14 “And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind Him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son (Isaac). So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
God had given Abraham a son in his and Sarah’s old age. This son was now a young man and God tested Abraham by asking him to offer his only son as a sacrifice on a mountain He would show him. Abraham obeyed God and set out, arriving three days later. He had taken his son Isaac, who carried the wood and he had the fire and a knife. Isaac asked his father where the lamb was for the burnt offering, and Abraham replied that God would provide the lamb. Trusting God, Abraham prepared an altar, placed the wood and laid his son on the altar, preparing to offer him. This is when God stopped Abraham and confirmed that he had passed the test of supreme obedience. God then provided a ram in place of Isaac which Abraham gladly offered with his grateful son.
This is an amazing story which occurred about two thousand years before Christ. It reveals the heart of our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. God the Father and Jesus planned the provision for man’s greatest need: a holy and complete sacrifice for sin. It is believed that the spot where Abraham offered Isaac is the same location where Jesus Christ was crucified between two thieves. Jesus was God’s only begotten Son and He lived a sinless life in perfect obedience to His Father. He willingly gave His life as a substitute sacrifice for all mankind.
‘If God is for us, Who can be against us? He Who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:31-32
Prayer: Father God, thank You for revealing Your Heart of love that gives what we need most in our pilgrimage here on earth–the gift of Your Son. Because He is “I AM” the Provider, I can ask Him for whatever is my need and bring Him glory by trusting and obeying His gracious provision. Amen.
The Eternal “I AM”
Scripture reading for July 2: John 8:56-58 “”Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.””
When we become aware of the frailty of our human body and a disease or sickness brings us to cry out for help, often our first response is to turn to doctors. We have been conditioned by our culture to hold medicine and those trained in that field in high esteem. We trust that science and medicine have answers to our problems. But there is a much greater source of answers, cures and help in the God Who is known as the “I AM.”
The God Who reveals Himself as “I AM” in Scripture is the Creator of the universe and all life. He existed before time and is eternal. Our God is present in the here and now, but also was before time or matter. He is also fully conscious of all events and people, past, present and what will come. In the Old Testament, He revealed Himself specifically in several “I AM” statements, including “I AM the Lord, your Healer,” (Exodus 15:26) which we considered yesterday. We will consider these in coming devotions.
Jesus Christ, God’s Son, also claimed the same Name for Himself when responding to the questions of the Pharisees and scribes. As “I Am” Jesus is present in the here and now. His presence fills the universe and His knowledge is full and complete since He was and is always present and aware and involved with His creation. That is why He invites all His children to call upon Him for healing, direction, and understanding. He is able and willing to share His unmatched understanding with us. He is just what we need because in coming to earth as a human, He experienced everything we have gone through, yet without sin or breaking fellowship with His Father God.
Prayer: Father God, help me to more fully comprehend Your Name, “I AM” so that I might know You. I humbly recognize my own finite understanding and my need for Your infinite revelation knowledge. Lead me to faith for healing and eternal life. Amen.
“I AM The Lord Your healer”
Scripture Reading for July 1: Exodus 15:26 “There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there He tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in His eyes, and give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your Healer.”
God through Moses had just lead the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt. Singing and dancing, they had celebrated the victory over the Egyptian army who were drowned as they were about to overtake them. Three days journey on towards their promised home, they found no water but a bitter spring. This caused them to grumble against Moses and God. The instruction given by God to them was given to inspire faith and motivate them to listen to God and obey His loving instructions. He showed Moses a log that he was to throw into the spring. The water became sweet as he listened and obeyed.
In the early part of 2026, my wife, Mary, was diagnosed with a disease called multiple myeloma. We are people who love God and have walked with Him for many years on our journey through this wilderness. We are people who pray and seek the Lord. It is His promises and Word that bring faith to our hearts. God tells us to call upon Him in the time of trouble. He states that that honors Him and that He will deliver us. (Psalm 50:15)
God tells us over and over not to fear or worry, but to share all our concerns with Him. (Philippians 4:6-7) For the last several months, we have been doing just that. We are waiting on the Lord while taking the treatments prescribed by our doctors. I have just finished the six months of this year writing a devotional for first responders and now feel that I am to build our faith by inviting the Holy Spirit to help us see His plan to find healing that is promised and needed.
I invite you to pray for us as we walk through our journey. Would you also read these devotions and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s heart for His children. Would you offer yourself as an instrument of prayer for those needing healing and take steps each day to encourage those in your life who are going through a health or emotional crisis? God declares,“I Am the Lord, your Healer.” Amen!
In His Love, Pastor John
Day 2 -Jesus’ Prayer for Us!
Scripture reading for June 30: John 17: 20-25“”I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. The glory that You have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as We are One, I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am, to see My glory that You have given me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.””
Not only did Jesus give His disciples a pattern or model of how to pray, He prayed for them using that pattern as recorded by the apostle John in chapter 17 of his Gospel. Earlier in this prayer and over and over, Jesus addressed God as “Father” as He instructed His followers. We are to pray directly to the Father and can come boldly before Him because of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. (John 16:23-24)
As Jesus taught His disciples to pray for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done, so Jesus prayed in this passage for God’s will to make us all one with Him and the Son. God’s purpose was that the world would believe that God sent Jesus and that He loved them enough to send His Son to die on their behalf. Those who would believe and unite in God’s family would experience God’s love and it would flow through them to those in the world.
Jesus had prayed earlier that God would keep His followers in the world from the evil one and that none of them would be lost, except Judas, the son of destruction. (John 17:12) His request was to make them complete and filled with joy eternally, even though the world would hate them. They would be set apart by the truth of God’s Word and Son. Jesus not only prayed for His immediate disciples, but for all who would come to believe in Him through their witness and message. His plan was that all who believed would be with Him where He was and behold His glory forever and ever! Truly, His is the power and glory forever and ever! Amen!
Week 27–Day 1–Pray Like This!
Scripture reading for June 29: Matthew 6:9-15 “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
As we close out this twenty-six week devotional for first responders, I want to encourage each of my brothers and sisters to develop a prayer connection with God the Father using the pattern taught by Jesus Christ to help connect with God effectively. This prayer has often been neglected or mis-used. Some memorize it and say it repetitively with little thought. For others, myself included, it is a wonderful help in keeping my focus on God’s holiness and grace and humbly presenting my personal needs. It was taught by Jesus as a pattern for corporate prayer among believers.
This prayer begins with relationship and our identity in Christ as God’s children. “Our Father” is recognition that all of us are created in God’s image and He is truly our Father in heaven. Our Father is Holy: complete and whole in Himself. He is the King of the heavenly kingdom and His will is to be our desire and focus on earth as it is in heaven. He is honored when we ask Him for physical, emotional and spiritual needs. We find forgiveness of sin is one of our deepest needs and we are to ask Him for forgiveness. Reinforcing this is the admonition that if we refuse to forgive others, God will not forgive us. Ending this short pattern is the humble request to deliver us from evil or the evil one. By faith, we pray, believing that God hears us and answers His children.
Prayer: Our Father in heaven, holy is Your Name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom, power, and glory forever! Amen.