God's Word Will Not Return Empty

[Sue J Love]

“As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55:10-12 NIV)

God’s Word is reliable. It can be trusted. But let me add a word of caution here. The Scriptures, in their original form, were without error. But since then there have been copies of copies and many different translations and transliterations. So, if possible, it is best to make certain that we are reading a reliable and tested translation that is considered to be accurate as well as readable. And if you have access on the internet to Bible helps, using them can be helpful, too, but we should not rely on them as our primary source.

It is also good to make certain that we are reading the Scriptures in their appropriate context and that we compare Scriptures with other Scriptures to make certain that they agree. For many people today are being taught the Scriptures out of context which are then twisted to teach what they do not say if taught in their appropriate context. And from that many false doctrines are being taught as though they are truth when they are lies. So be students of the Scriptures who study them in context. Then apply them to your lives.

Now, what God said in his word that he would do, if he has not already done it, he will do it, unless he retracted what he said he would do because the people repented (example the story of Jonah and Nineveh in the book of Jonah, chapters 1-3). God will fulfill all his promises which he has not yet fulfilled, but we must understand that his promises all have conditions which we must meet for us to receive those promises, if they were written for us. So, make certain that you know what those conditions are.

Also, he will fulfill all the threats he made and all the judgments that he promised to the unrepentant and to the disobedient who refuse to bow to him as Lord and to die with him to sin and to now walk in obedience to his commands, in the power of God. For, regardless of what professions of faith in Jesus we may make with our lips, if we continue to deliberately and habitually sin against God, and walks of obedience to his commands are not what we practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God.

But I find comfort in this. Even if the many are rejecting the words of the Lord now, and they are not accepting the truth of his gospel, the truth of his gospel is still going out to the people of the world. And many who have heard the truth, but have not yet believed the truth, may yet believe. For the word of the Lord which is going out to the world will not return empty, but it will accomplish what God desires, and it will achieve the purpose for which he sent it, even if that is many years later from when it was sent.

Now, at the beginning of Isaiah 55 we read that the wicked (sinful) must forsake their sinful ways, and they must turn to the Lord and he will have mercy on them, and he will pardon their sins. But to turn to the Lord is to surrender our lives to him to now follow in his ways and in his truth in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. So we not only forsake our sinful practices, but now we must walk in obedience to our Lord. For if we choose not to, in practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God.

So, when this says, “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace,” etc., this is based on the premise that we have died with Christ to sin and that we are walking in obedience to his commands, in practice, and that sin and disobedience to our Lord are no longer what we practice. This does not make us perfect people, but if sin is what we practice, and not obedience, we do not have salvation from sin nor eternal life with God. For God’s word will be fulfilled. We must obey him if we want to have his promises in our lives.

[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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God’s Word Will Not Return Empty
An Original Work / March 3, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love