For the next few days we're going to examine this beautiful chapter of Scripture that culminates in these words:
"but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."
These words of Isaiah come to Israel at a bad time. They're by the rivers of Babylon in exile. Their temple is destroyed, their enemies are jubilant, their hope is crushed and the future looks bleak. This has caused a serious faith-crisis and the people are pretty cynical.
Look at v27 which is the key verse to understanding this chapter:
Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God"?
Many of us feel this way as we weather the storms of economic upheaval, insecurity, conflict, failure and ill-health.
But this chapter provides powerful assistance - I hope the journey will be helpful to you!
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"Comfort, comfort my people," says your God. Isaiah40:1
Comfort.
This is what the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob holds out to the Israelites in exile. This is what is offered to those who find themselves at the rivers of Babylon. This is what is God gives to those who feel as though "God has left the building" or that "God doesn't see or He doesn't care."
Comfort.
Not the absence of trouble, but comfort.
Isaiah will use this word again in 51:3; 57:18; 61:2 (which Jesus quoted about His own mission) and in 66:13:
"As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you;
and you will be comforted over Jerusalem."
God comforts.
No one says it better than Paul:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." 2Cor1:3-7
Comfort.
This is what God offers us. We can reach out and receive it.
Over the next few days we'll explore this truth...
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
