God’s Word Will Not Return Void

Part Three of “Faith Comes By Hearing”

Isaiah 55:8-11

 ⁸ "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.  ⁹ "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 ¹⁰ 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, ¹¹ 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.

KJV:   ¹¹So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

This week, I was reading a report about the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ as seen through the people of Haiti.  Many Haitians were commenting on how the Christians all over the world are responding to them during their time of need. The Buddhists are not responding like the Christians are. The Hindus are not responding at the level the Christians are.  Etc.  As Christians, we are representing Jesus Christ well, and making a difference in the lives of so many people during their time of crisis.

1) God’s Word is a powerful seed.

a) Only God’s Word can quench your spiritual thirst (v. 1)

¹ "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!

b) God’s Word is an everlasting Covenant (v. 3)

 ³ Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.

c) God’s Word will come alive to those who seek Him. (v. 6)

 ⁶ Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

d) God’s thoughts and God’s ways are higher than ours. (v. 8, 9)

Isaiah 55:8   “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. ⁹ "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

2) God’s Word must be proclaimed to the nations.

Isaiah 55:5

 ⁵ Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor."

Convoy of Hope – Haiti

This past week, Convoy of Hope established 9 Food Distributions Centers plus 2 Mobile Units. They distributed 294,000 meals and 9,000 pallets of food are on the way.

Matthew 28:19, 20

¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 24:15 ¹⁴And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

What is a Nation?

The word translated “nation” in Mathew 24:14 is the Greek word “ethnos” which means of the same manner, language and habit, tribe, or “kind of people” or people group.  Jesus commanded us to reach the “nations” or Ethnos, Ethnic Groups or People Groups of the World.

So when we use the term Nation – we mean ethnos.

Illiteracy:  Our efforts have always been centered on the poor and illiterate.  Of the world’s 6.2 Billion people, over 50% percent are functionally illiterate.

Revelation 7:9   ⁹After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.

3) God’s Word will accomplish God’s Purposes.

Isaiah 55:11   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.

Are you dealing with a physical infirmity?

The Lord has a Word for you today:

Psalm 107:19, 20   Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. ²⁰ He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.

Exodus 15:26 He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."

Are you facing some challenging financial issues?
The Lord has a Word for you today: Philippians 4:19

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Are you dealing with fear?  Afraid of what might happen to you next?

Psalm 27:1-3  The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

 ² When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.

 ³ Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

Does it seem like you are losing hope?

Romans 15:4  For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Are you dealing with being mistreated?

The Lord has a Word for you today.

Joel 2:25  “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.”

Are you dealing with the troubles of life?

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Are you getting tired of waiting on God? 

Psalm 27:14  “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

Do you sense that you are under persecution?

The Lord has a word for you today: Matthew 5:11, 12

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,

Praying for someone’s salvation?
2 Peter 3:9   The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.