When God Gets Personal

When God Gets Personal

Isaiah 40:21 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?

Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

Yesterday was the first time I noticed the differences between these repeated phrases. In verse 21, God addresses the whole nation of Israel or perhaps even the whole world (which is often addressed in the second main section of Isaiah), but in verse 28, the Lord addresses the individual: thou. Singular, an individual. The promise here is to the individual believer who chooses to focus on the Lord above all else, who waits upon the Lord in faith.

Isaiah 40:28-31 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

There are so many passages in the Bible where God gets personal, where He speaks to an individual. Whether a promise or a command, when I read phrases that indicate that a singular person is being addressed, it causes me to pay attention. Most if not all modern versions mess this up. They change passages that refer to "him" to "they," or "those who". Many times they put the generic "you" instead of the "thee's" and "thou's". In the King James Bible, ye, you, your, yourself are always plural; whereas, thee, thou, thyself are always singular., and you can always tell whether singular or plural persons are in view.

Consider the following passages and think what it would mean to change the singular to a plural (or remove the distinction by just putting you - which could be either singular and plural):

Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

When I read the above passage, it hits home to me personally. I could be that believer that fulfills this promise and gets God's blessing on my life. There are actually 14 passages in the Bible where God states "blessed is the man" (one passage says, "blessed is that man"), ie. blessed is the individual believer who fits what this verse is speaking about.

Blessed is the (that) man:

Psalm 1:1; 32:2; 34:8; 40:4; 65:4; 84:5, 12; 94:12; 112:1
Proverbs 8:34
Isaiah 56:2
Jeremiah 17:7
Romans 4:8
James 1:12

All of those apply to me and make me sit up and pay attention. But there are modern versions that change the wording to, "Blessed are they," or "blessed are the ones who" do what the passage is referring to. The personal element is gone.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Hey Nicodemus, I am speaking to you personally - even you, like all mankind, must be born again. Jesus did not just say in general, Everyone must be born again, but said, I am speaking to you specifically, Nicodemus, and to all else who will one day hear Me. I say unto thee - to you personally, Nicodemus.

Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Peter, Satan is going to bring you (plural, all the Apostles) through the ringer tonight, but I have prayed for thee - I have prayed for you personally, Peter. I don't know about you, but it brings me tremendous comfort and assurance that God's eye is on me personally, that God is watching me as I go through each trial. Looking back, I think Peter would have felt the same.

How about the letters to the seven churches in Revelation? Though they are addressed to the angels of the churches (which I believe is a reference to the leadership, the pastors of each local congregation), the promises inside each letter is to the individual. No one gets saved as a group. There must be a time and place where an individual personally makes a choice to choose Christ or to get right again with the Lord when they have wandered from Him.

Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

He that hath an ear, let him hear... Personally, stated seven times in Revelation chapters 2-3. See Revelation 2:11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22.

Consider these other promises and statements in those chapters, and see how they effect you as an individual:

Revelation 2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

In all seven letters, Jesus addresses each individuals' works, not just the churches as a whole. Thy works, thy labour, thy patience. See also Revelation 2:9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15.

Revelation 2:4-6 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Personal correction and personal promises. Yes, some parts of these seven letters deal with a church as a whole, but these statements are individual, personal, and they hit home to me.

Revelation 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

The whole church may face persecution and even martyrdom, but here is a promise to you personally. If you are faithful, I will reward you - not the whole church.

Revelation 2:13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

Thou holdest fast my name - thou hast been faithful. God has always had a remnant in the churches, and there have always been tares among the wheat. Not everyone in a local church is saved or has been faithful to the Lord, but the person who gets saved or who stays faithful has certain promises they can claim.

Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Notice the promise to the overcomer is to an individual: to him that overcometh, to him that gets saved - not to the whole church or all of professing Christendom, but to him that trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, here are some promises. See 1 John 5:4-5. See also Revelation 2:11, 17, 26-28; 3:5, 12, 21.

Some examples of personal promises in these seven letters:

Revelation 2:11 ...He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. No true believer will ever face hell.

Revelation 2:17 ...To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. All true believers will have their hunger satisfied with the bread from Heaven - both daily bread and the Bread of Life. All who trust in Christ will be given a new name.

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. To the individual believer who has trusted Christ, they will be clothed in white raiment (ie. the righteousness of Christ), and he or she has the personal promise that their name will NEVER be blotted out of the Lamb's Book of Life. Those promises are to the individual who trusts in Jesus alone for salvation, not to the whole religious world or to all of professing Christendom.

Revelation 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Jesus is saying, I have given you personally a promise that I open and close the doors in your life, and the doors you need opened to serve Me will be opened, and yet I will also close the doors that I do not want you to walk through. Trust Me.

Revelation 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. One day, all your enemies will be conquered and you will be vindicated if you are My faithful servant. One day, all your enemies will know (ginosko - personally know, know by personal experience) that I have loved THEE, personally loved you. Yes, I loved and died for the world, I died for the church, but KNOW that I have loved THEE, you singular.

Some similar verses on this theme are:

Isaiah 43:1-4 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Salvation and fellowship with the Lord is personal, is individual. Yes, we can seek the Lord corporately as a body, but the prayer and fellowship starts with the individual believer.

There are so many promises we can glean from in the Scriptures, promises to the individual believer who will trust in and rely on the Lord by faith. Consider the sevenfold promise David gives in the following passage:

Psalms 103:2-5 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
1) Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
2) who healeth all thy diseases;
3) Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
4) who crowneth thee with lovingkindness
5) and tender mercies;
6) Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;
7) so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Consider also the personal aspects of the Song of Solomon. Yes, it is a love song from the Lord God to His people - whether the Old Testament covenant people (the nation of Israel) or the New Testament believers that make up the church, but I have found that the promises and statements in it are personal, and apply more to the individual believer than Israel as a whole or the church as a corporate body. King Solomon represents Jesus, and the Shulamite represents the individual believer that is walking with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Song of Solomon 1:2 Let him kiss me...

1:4 Draw me, we will run after thee...

1:7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth...

Song of Songs 2:1-2 I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. 

Song of Songs 2:10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

Song of Songs 2:14-17 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

Song of Songs 3:1-4 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go...

Song of Songs 4:7 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

There is too much to go through in this study, but please go through the whole Song of Solomon and think about your personal walk and fellowship with the Lord who saved you, with the Shepherd who walks with you and leads you each day, the Beloved who died for you.

Song of Songs 7:5 Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.

The eyes ARE the windows of the soul. If your mind was a museum, displaying what was most precious to you, what would be held on display in the galleries? Is it your King?

With my Bible study group, we are studying through the book of Isaiah, and I am reminded of this verse:

Isaiah 33:17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

One day, you personally will see the Lord Jesus Christ - personally, in your resurrected body - YOU will see Him!

Job 19:25-27 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

Psalms 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

1 John 3:1-3 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

I pray that these words of encouragement and exhortation appeal to you personally, affect you in your walk with the Lord, and personally draw you closer to Him. Has the Lord gotten personal with you today?

July 8th, 2026
Jerry Bouey