He Is God All By Himself!

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb:  “ I am the LORD, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself[.] Isaiah 44; 24, NKJV. Emphasis provided.

Holy Father, we delight to be in Your presence. Please make us completely Your own, as we enter the study of Your Word. In the blessed name of Jesus Christ we pray! Amen.

This is not a new theme. As a matter of fact, this caption has become sort of a cliche; and by now, I believe you know that I am not too fond of using cliches, though many of them contain great truths. However, based on the content of our text, this seemed like the perfect name to give to our study for today. Have You noticed that the title par excellence used by God, to make reference to Himself, is that of Creator? Have you ever wondered why? He is so much more! Frankly, He is everything! Yet time and again, when referring to Himself, He uses this title. Have You also noticed that when He is being hailed, or acknowledged, or worshiped, it is also, as our Creator? Could the reason for this be, that it is at creation when life begins? Is it because without a creator there would be no creatures, and therefore, we owe Him our all? Could it be that God knows if we were always aware of our relationship to Him (creature – Creator) we would be more inclined to live our lives in accordance with His will, and in so doing, be blessed?

Notice that He begins by reminding Israel that it is He who formed them from the womb! Even though He is talking about His role as their Redeemer, He reminds them, that He began the work, as creator! There would be no need of redemption, if there was no creation! He is the beginning of life. Without Him there can be no life! On July 28, 2009, our devotional dealt with how “fearfully and wonderfully” we are made. In that devotional we considered the fact that sometimes even before our biological parents are aware that we have been conceived, God knows! He knew when we were formed in the secret place of our mother’s womb! It is also wonderful to note, that even though He is Creator of everything, He specifically, makes mention of His creation of humanity! He speaks of our creation, and oftentimes makes mention of the details, and of His care for us (Psalm 139: 13-16; Isaiah 46: 3, 4)! You and I, who are made in His image, and after His likeness (Genesis 1: 26-28), are the apple of God’s eye (Zechariah 2: 8b)!

But He does not forget the rest of His creation. He does not forget His covenant! “And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth” (Genesis 9: 16, emphasis provided). He remembers when He stretched the sky over the earth as a canopy (Isaiah 40: 22b). And He does not forget the day He designed the layout of the earth, how He divided the waters from the dry land and gave each portion its name. He remembers when He called into being the trees and shrubbery and caused grass to grow to beautify the earth, because of the love He has for His creatures. He made the suns and moons and stars, so that there would be daytime to work, and nighttime to rest; and that vegetation could grow, so that His creatures never need suffer hunger! He put birds in the sky that we could learn from them how nests are to be provided before the babies come! He filled the seas with living creatures big and small. Some were used to capture run away prophets. Others were used to provide tax money to pay temple taxes, for Himself, who, by virtue of being a Jew, but even above and beyond that, by being, the Lord of the temple, should have been exempted. Nevertheless, His impetuous disciple learned a lesson that he would not have learned just by fishing – He learned how, not to “offend” (Matthew 17: 24-27).

Our God is such a great and wonderful God! He is all of that, and much, much, more – all by Himself!