Not return void

Finally! The snow has come to bless our area. Many have been longing for it. Some have been praying for it. But all have been eagerly expecting it as it will bless our mountains and our valleys. It will bless us with beauty. It will bless us with snowpack for water. It will provide a resource for recreation, and boost our local economy. It will water our valley and our bodies. No wonder we long for it so. Snow is one of the elements of a system well devised by the Creator to benefit us earthlings, and what an amazing part of His creation it is!

Yeah. He knows it. Isaiah wrote in 55:10,

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth. And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater.”

God was very intentional in the design and function of all His creation, to perform His will, to care for us in many ways. God was and is concerned about the physical realm. He declared His creation to be “good,” and I am sure that applies to even snow, but it doesn’t stop there.

As much as He was devoted to the physical realm, I know that His greater concern, and His most glorious creation is mankind himself. God made man in His image, to glorify Himself. God so appreciated relational value that He made us! Only problem was when Adam did the whole “sin thing” in the garden, we were no longer holy (without sin) so we were separated from God; it messed up that whole “live forever” thing as well. But God had a plan… all along He had a plan to redeem us—that emergency plan which effectively read, “IN CASE OF SIN… DO THIS.” And He communicated that plan of salvation through His Word.

Isaiah 55:11, continues on, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

I hope you caught the flow of those two verses put together. What God is saying is that, like the rain and snow, elements with specific purpose to perform, His Word has intended function. It is to accomplish what He desires. As I understand it, those words are the promise to “abundantly pardon” (56:7) those who “seek the Lord while He may be found” (56:6). His Word is to accomplish His plan, and His plan is to restore a fallen, separated creation with Himself.

And this statement is not conditional. He doesn’t leave any room for His Words to fail, or return void, absent accomplishing His intended purpose. That means we can place full assurance in His performance. That is a lot of power in those words. That means He will save ALL those who call upon His Name.

So, the next time you check out the snow on the mountains. The next time you see the rain, and the run-off in the rivers and streams. The next time you appreciate the budding leaves of spring, remember that God has equated His Words and purpose with the spectacular choreography of nature—to save you as you would call upon His Name.

Oh, that we would long for His words as we did the snow.

(Kelly Larson is the pastor at Bishop Creek Community Church, an Evangelical Free Church. The church meets Sundays at 700 Hobson St. (corner of Hobson and Keough) at 11 a.m. (760) 872-7188. Larson’s blog is at TheShepherdsPen.com.)