WORSHIPING A GOOD GOD

Isaiah 25:1 (NIV) – “Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.”

Under the New Covenant—which was established through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—Isaiah 25:1 takes on a deeper and more fulfilled meaning. Here’s a breakdown of its significance in this context:

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

“Lord, you are my God…” – Under the Old Covenant, Israel related to God as a nation. But under the New Covenant, every believer has direct, personal access to God through Jesus (Hebrews 10:19–22). This verse reflects the individual believer’s worship and intimate relationship with God, made possible through Christ.

EXALTING AND PRAISING GOD FOR SALVATION THROUGH CHRIST

“I will exalt you and praise your name…” – Believers under the New Covenant praise God not just for physical deliverance or national victories (as Isaiah may have had in mind), but for the ultimate victory over sin and death through Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:57). We exalt Him because He provided salvation through grace, not law.

GOD’S PERFECT FAITHFULNESS REVEALED IN CHRIST

“…for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things…” – The “wonderful things” include God’s eternal plan of redemption, fulfilled in Christ (Ephesians 1:4–10). God’s faithfulness—once seen in His promises to Israel—is now most perfectly revealed in the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, just as foretold by the prophets

GOD’S ETERNAL PLANS FULFILLED

“…things planned long ago.” – This directly speaks to God’s sovereign plan of salvation, conceived before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20). Under the New Covenant, this refers to God’s preordained plan to send His Son to redeem humanity and bring all things together under Chris

Worshiping God is one of the most central and basic aspects of the Christian life. God’s people actively engage in worship of God all through Scripture. The Bible is filled with songs and poems dedicated to worshiping God.

While we often think of worship as singing songs of praise, worship can be much more than that. Actually, when we limit our worship of God to only singing, we miss out on a vital aspect of the Christian life.

Worship in Scripture is more than just singing. It is rightly thinking about and praising God for who He is and what He has done. Worship happens when we recognize God as God—when we’re in awe of His character and His provisions.

This means that we can worship God at any moment of our day. When we thank God for His kindness, that is worship. When we are in admiration of His beauty, that is worship.

In Isaiah 25:1, the prophet Isaiah praises God in this way. Isaiah thanks God for being who He is, for being a very personal God to him. He also worships God for His faithfulness, which is an aspect of God’s character. Lastly, Isaiah praises God for all of the wonderful things He has done.

Isaiah may not have been singing a song at the time, but his words and actions tell us that he was worshiping God for who He is and what He has done. Isaiah was in awe of how great and wonderful God is.

Spend some time today thinking about God. Consider His character, that He is good, faithful, and loving. Think about the things He has blessed you with. Sit for a few minutes in awe of God and simply worship Him.

Under the New Covenant, Isaiah 25:1 is a song of praise for God’s redemptive plan fulfilled in Jesus Christ. It expresses:

A personal relationship with God,

Gratitude for salvation,

Awe at His faithfulness,

And trust in His eternal purposes.

It becomes a timeless anthem for Christians who recognize that the “wonderful things planned long ago” were ultimately revealed in the person and work of Jesus. Amen.