Proclaim The Excellencies Of Him, For He Has Done Excellent Things

Today's Word of Encouragement from Wayne:

"‘Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.’ Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation. And in that day you will say, ‘ Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted.’ Praise the Lord in song, for He has done excellent things"

Isaiah 12: 2-5

Bless the Lord, o my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, and with all that is within us let us bless His holy name, for our Lord is excellent and He has done excellent things!

This entire section of Scripture from Isaiah 12 makes me think specifically of what Peter wrote in his first letter concerning us, the body of Christ, being "A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s Own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him" (1 Peter 2:9). From these two passages I think we can clearly see and understand that beholding, receiving, and proclaiming God’s excellencies is produced within us as we praise our Lord and drink His living waters in His presence as His priesthood!

Look at our scripture of this day from Isaiah and think of these words within the context of describing what goes on, within God’s presence, as we minister to our Lord as His royal priesthood. Let us also recognize that Isaiah, himself, was in quite an ecstatic time of praise in the Lord when he made these statements.

"Behold, God is my salvation." We enter God’s presence as His priests in order to behold our Lord and, as His new covenant priesthood, we personally have come to know, through Jesus Christ, that "God is my salvation." Ministering to the Lord constantly fortifies this faith in and declaration of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song." Hallelujah! Our trust in God grows while all fears go, when you and I enter God’s presence, for we receive strength in Him when we draw near to Him. It is in God’s presence that we not only see that "God is my salvation" but we also are blessed to see that "the Lord God is my strength." Jesus is everything to us. It is just as the psalmist wrote, "Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary" (Psalm 96: 6).

"Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation." We saw yesterday how, in Jesus Christ, we have received, in our innermost being, rivers of living "water springing up to eternal life" (John 7:38 / 4:14). Every single time we minister to God in His presence, this is synonymous with our drawing and drinking from the "springs of salvation," for Christ is our salvation, our spring of living water flows from Him, He is living in us and, therefore, we have a river of living water flowing from within our innermost being!

"And in that day you will say, ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted.’ Praise the Lord in song, for He has done excellent things’" Thank You God, for we are "in that day" right now, thanks to our "Lord" and "priest forever" (Psalm 110: 1&4), Jesus Christ. So let us do all that this text says for we are in the day of Jesus Christ, as priests in the presence of our high priest.

Proclaim His excellencies today; first in His presence and then to this world. Hallelujah!