This teaching is based on my understanding of Isaiah 59:1
Depending on the translation you use, the word ‘Surely’ may mean: Certainly; Listen; Behold; See; Look; etc.
Speaking of the arm of the Lord, it is the power of God. We hear God saying to Moses in Num. 11:23 that His power / arm was not limited – when Moses was worried about how he would provide meet for over 600,000 people in the wilderness.
The arm of the Lord means, God-in-action; it means the strength of God; the ability of God to do whatsoever He chooses. If it is clear that it means God’s ability to do, then we can correctly say that Jesus Christ is the arm of the LORD. He is the doing & the doer. That’s why He said in John 14:13-14, “whatever you ask in my name, I will do it.” So, if it is about doing, Jesus is the One doing. He is the One who goes about doing good (Acts 10:38).
‘Too short’ means ‘to be limited or weak.’ It signifies inability or less-able.
Good news: “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save …” There is no limitation or weakness in His ability to save anyone; glory halleluiah.
In Ps. 118:16 David says, “… the hand of the Lord does valiantly (great things). Then one may ask,
what had the Lord used His arm / hand to wrought and who hath the arm delivered? Some answers are listed below:
The arm of the Lord brought terror on the enemies of His people – Exo.15:16.
- Pray that the arm of the Lord will bring terror to all who terrorize your peace and sound mind.
- Pray that the arm of the Lord will visit the nations of the world (Nigeria, USA, etc.) and terrify all terrors of our peace and lives.
It redeemed people from bondage – Exod. 6:6.
- Pray that the arm of the Lord will buy your body back from sickness and disease invasion.
- Pray that as the donkey was freed to bring glory to Jesus (Mk. 11:1-11), let the arm of the Lord remove every yoke from you and your family, so that your life may bring glory to God in all realms.
It freed them from slavery – Deut. 5:15
- Pray that the hands of the Lord will deliver you from all seen and unseen powers that rule over your destiny day and night.
- Pray that the arm of the Lord will deliver you from the sins that have rule over you – that can hinder your salvation.
It brings possession – Ps. 44:3
- Pray that the arm of the Lord will favor you to bless you. Your own hands are not able to wrought these miracles, but Jesus can do it.
It divided the waters for God’s people to pass – Isa. 63:12
- Pray that the arm of the Lord will make ways for you in this land: Way of escape, way of prosperity, way of salvation.
His hands scatter the proud – Luke 1:51
- Pray that Jesus will scatter every power that exalts itself against the power and promises of God in your life.
His hands (Jesus) made all thing, and without Him nothing was made – John 1:3
- Pray that the arm of God will speak creativity into your life.
Is this arm still available to deliver me or wrought a wonder in your life today? Yes!
How come I am not experiencing this powerful arm of the Lord? Just like the people in the past, many Christians, including you and me, today are asking, “‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’” – Isa. 58:3. We ask such questions like “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? …” Ps. 22:1
The Lord says He hear us as we raise such questions both audibly and in our hearts. As the Lord instructed his servant, Prophet Isaiah, to respond to the people’s questions, so He has sent me today to respond to this serious query in your hearts. The prophet told them and so I say, “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.” – Isa. 59:1 The only reason we are not getting answers to our prayers and fasting is our sins; This answer is made clear in Isa. 59:2-8 saying, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
Sin is the reason why it seems as if the Lord is far or His arms are shortened. It is separating us from God. For example, the paralyzed man issue in Mat. 9:1-6 stemmed from sin. Isaiah 59:2 reveals that sin can damage the relationship between us and our Maker – God. Vs. 3-8 lists some of the actions of the people that God considered as sinful, thereby causing Him to be far away from them.
As God made clear to His people the reason for their suffering, so He is speaking to us today all over the world that it is our wickedness and sinful conducts that is causing unrest among us, thereby separating us from God. We pray a lot but we are not repenting of our sins against God, so no answer is coming.
Various scriptures support this:
- Paul states in Rom. 8:7 that carnality is enmity against God.
- In Eph. 2:2 He claims that the prince of the power of the air is behind all these sins.
- This prince is Satan who is deceiving the entire world –Rev. 12:9.
What is the way out? We must war against Satan by changing our conducts to please God.
Repentance and obedience are the ways out. We must come through Jesus Christ now who is willing to forgive our sins. He has already paid for our sins. Let’s begin to confess them now and surrender to His will – as David did in Psalm 32.
- Isaiah 1:21-23 & 27-31 shows the judgement of God if repentance is not done. May God cause us to repent.
- Acts 3:19 says we should repent so that time of refreshing may come. God is not deaf. Let’s repent. He will refresh us again.
- Isaiah 1:18-20 encourages us not to refuse God’s warning. It says we should become willing and obedience, then talk to / reason with God, He will cleanse us.
Pray for a heart of repentance for yourself, people in your family, nation, and church. God says He takes no pleasure in our destruction, but that we turn from wickedness – Ezek. 33:11.
In Isaiah 44:22 God says He has wiped out our transgressions. Pray that it will be so. Thank Him for such kindness. His hands are not too short to deliver us. Halleluiah.
Once sins are removed, then we will begin to experience what it truly means for the hand of God not to be short. We will begin to see that NOTHING IS TOO HARD for God – JER. 32:17
Now that you have received a heart of repentance:
Whenever you get to a point of doubt and a point or hopelessness in your life, say to yourself, the hand of the Lord is not short, therefore my case is not too hard for Him. In Gen. 18:11-14 Sarah was at that point, but the hand of the Lord made her happy.
- PRAY: Every situation in your life which has passed the time of solution must receive the hand of God.
- PRAY that God will perform miracles in your life this year that even unbelievers will attest saying, ‘the finger of the Lord has done this’ – as in the case of Moses – Exo. 8:18-19
- In Luke 11:19-20 Jesus used the finger of God to drive out demons. PRAY that the finger of God will drive out all demonic forces manipulating your life in any way.
Remember, the hand of the Lord is not too short to save. God bless you.