ISAIAH 44:6

This is what the Lord says—

    Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:

I am the first and I am the last;

    apart from me there is no God.

TO PONDER:

My Grandma's chicken noodle soup was the best! My kids will say that their Grandma's mayonnaise is better than any you get out of the jar. Auntie Joylene's homemade Triffle - to die for! Our friend's homemade pasty's - better than any bakery bought ones! And my late mother-in-laws chilli prawn marinade...a taste sensation! Whether it's jams, pickles, bread, pizzas, soups, there is nothing like homemade. Homemade always tastes better and fresher than the ready made alternative.

This idea that homemade is best can sometimes spill over into our spirituality as well...we come up with our own ideas of God, we hand-make a god in our image, in a way that benefits us, blesses us, tastes good to us, serves our purposes. But as the prophet Isaiah reminds us today, the original is always better than what we can manufacture with our own hands and in our strength, Can any of the gods, you have created, save you? Can any of the gods you have handmade come to your aid? Can any of the gods you have manufactured in the warehouse of your own heart, rescue you, redeem you and buy you back? The answer of Isaiah, is a resounding "no" . We don't have to manufacture or produce our own thing....but believe in what God has already shown/revealed to us, that he, the Lord God, the Redeemer, the Lord Almighty is the original and the best who comes to heal, restore and bless us in incredible ways. We need nothing more than the original and the best!

PRAYER

Lord God, forgive me when I forget that there is no-one greater than you. Help me trust not in my own handmade creations but in Jesus Christ, who revealed the truth of your glory and might on the cross of Calvary for us. Amen.