Comfort for God's People

Here are some passages from Isaiah 40 that I found encouraging.

"A voice of one calling: 'In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it'" (Isaiah 40:3-5).

This passage seems appropriate so close to Christmas because verse 3 is the verse John the Baptist quoted when people asked him who he was. They wondered if he was the Christ. And he seemed very glad to reply that he was not, but that he was the voice in the desert announcing the coming of the Messiah.

"'To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?' says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing" (Isaiah 40:25-26)

"The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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" (Isaiah 40:28b-31).

May God bless your hearts this week, providing comfort and joy when you need it most.

"My Times Are in Your Hands"

Isn't that a great phrase? It's from Psalm 31.

"But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in your hands" (Ps. 31:14-15a).

Here are two more encouraging verses from this psalm. It is important to note that David, while writing this psalm, was experiencing a difficulty of some kind. Life was not a bed of roses. But he chose to praise God.

"I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul" (Ps. 31:7).

"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD" (Ps. 31:24).

When You're Just Not Feelin' It

Satan's been at work. He's been trying to get at me all this week. I've had unpleasant dreams, I'm stressed about work, Christmas is right around the corner, and things just don't seem right. So what do you do when you feel like this? I prayed hard last night that God would protect me from Satan's attacks. This morning I e-mailed close friends to ask them to pray for me. And then I read Psalm 29 and 30.

David wrote these psalms after he had come through a difficult time. Sometimes it's hard to read scriptures like that when you haven't yet reached that point in a period of difficulty. But that is faith. Faith is believing that God will answer, that He will come through, no matter what suffering you have experienced.

Here are some verses I found encouraging:

"The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace" (Ps. 29:11).

"O LORD, you brought me up from the grave, you spared me from going down into the pit" (Ps. 30:3).

"[W]eeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning" (Ps. 30:5b).

I am reminded here of Dr. Green, a minister from the Oak Cliff area in Dallas, that has come to speak at our church twice. One of his sermon titles was "How Long the Night?" If you didn't hear that sermon, I recommend that you access the sermons on my church's website. Some "nights" are very, very long. As Christians, we do have the assurance that this long night on earth will end with rejoicing in our new home of heaven.

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever" (Ps. 30:11-12).

I'm not feeling that way today. But I have felt it before, particularly in the last few months. I know my God is good. And I know that He will bring me joy.

True Trust

Here's a passage from Psalm 28:

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one" (Ps. 28:7-8).

I also read Isaiah 37 this morning. The king of Assyria sent word to Hezekiah, the king of Judah, that he shouldn't trust God because Assyria had already conquered so many other lands. He told the people of Judah not to be deceived by Hezekiah's word that God would protect them. So Hezekiah talked to God. He said,

"O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth...It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God" (Isaiah 37:16, 18-20).

And God said that He would take care of King Sennacherib of Assyria...and He did.

Hezekiah, in this instance, was the most interested in God's reputation. Of course he wanted protection. But he was most certainly angry that this king belittled his God. Even when it seems that your situation is hopeless, trust in God.

Take Heart

Some encouragement from Psalm 27....

"The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid? Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident...For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock...[A]t his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD" (Ps. 27:1, 3, 5, 6b).

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD" (Ps. 27:14).

Everlasting Joy!

My mother loved a song by Maranatha that, I've just discovered, is based on Isaiah 35. I remember singing along and marching in place to the cassette tape. Even as a child, I felt such encouragement from the message in the song. The song is taken from the last verse in the chapter. I'd like to share other passages in the chapter first.

The title of this chapter in the New International Version is "Joy of the Redeemed." That sure caught my interest!

"The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy" (Isaiah 35:1-2a).

Crocuses, I believe, are one of the first flowers that push their heads out of the ground in the spring. I have seen many photos of crocus sprouting up from under layers of snow. This imagery makes me think of the neverending winter (with no Christmas!) in Narnia that did finally come to an end.

"Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with a vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you'" (Isaiah 35:3-4).

I like that we are told first to be strong. Sometimes we have to be strong even as we are afraid. But we are able to be strong because we have access to God's power, and that gives us cause to be unafraid. I also like the fact that God will "come with a vengeance" to save us. The enemy better watch out; he's going to get it in the end.

"Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert" (Isaiah 35:6).

Several years ago a CD titled "Streams in the Desert" was produced with several different Christian artists contributing to it. It's a beautiful piece. Though I haven't listened to it in a while, I recommend it.

And here's the passage that inspired the Maranatha song:

"[T]he ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away" (Isaiah 35:9b-10).

I have a thing with crowns. When my mother and I saw the Crown Jewels during our trip to England in 1999, I went back to see them about five times. They are amazing. But a crown of everlasting joy? Aaaaahhhh. That is my kind of crown. And can you imagine--"gladness and joy will overtake them"? I can get pretty filled with the joy of my God. But when I get home, that will be some serious joy! Can't wait till we're all there together.

Hope Vs. Hope

"Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long" (Psalm 25:4-5).

Hey, isn't this--or a psalm like it--used in a Third Day song? I love Third Day--my favorite Christian band ever.

Recently my husband and I had a discussion about the use of the word "hope" in the Bible. We English speakers use the word "hope" in a cross-your-fingers-and-wish kind of way, such as "I hope it snows tomorrow." But the Bible's "hope" is different. It is an assurance, a solid belief that we will be protected, that God, goodness, and justice will ultimately prevail. In the above passage, David, I think, was reminding himself that no matter what situation arose that day, God had his back. He would be safe.

"The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them" (Psalm 25:14).

Whoa. God confides in His people. This thought reminds me of the passages that talk about responsibilities God gives us, such as "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" (Luke 12:48b). But the idea that God confides in us baffles me. But really, when you think about it, it makes sense. God created us for Himself. He made us to have a relationship with Him.

"My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare" (Psalm 25:15).

David understood that he could not rescue himself. God alone has the power to save us. And more than that, thanks to God the Father and Jesus, we have access to the power that confronts and combats evil in our lives, as well as the Spirit to guide us. Never forget that you are a child of God and therefore are empowered to do battle with Satan. You are equipped to fight. God never sends His people into a war zone without weapons. You've got them. Use them.

The Sure Foundation for Our Times

Not much to say in comment to the following passages. I pray they encourage you as much as they did me this morning.

Grace and peace to all of you.

"O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. At the thunder of your voice, the peoples flee; when you rise up, the nations scatter...The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. He will be a sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure" (Isaiah 33:2-3, 5-6).

A glimpse, perhaps, of what we long to experience "in that day":

"Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar" (Isaiah 33:17).

Praise God. Knowing what is in store for us makes it easier to get through each day. But it'll be awesome to get home, won't it?

God's Other "Child"

"The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters" (Psalm 24:1-2).

As Christians, we find comfort in knowing that God loves us because He made us; we are His creation. We are not God's only creation, though. He also made the earth. In fact, He crafted the world before He made us.

As I read Psalm 24 this morning, it struck me how much God must love the earth. I've thought in the past that God created the earth and gave it to us to care for. But I never thought about God's love for His world. This realization could certainly alter one's perspective on environmental issues. Let's be mindful of how we can better care for this beautiful world over which God has appointed us stewards.

A Classic

Here's another great passage to read in the midst of the busyness of this season. It speaks for itself. Allow yourself to really consider each phrase as you read it; don't just skim over it, as it is commonly quoted.

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." (Psalm 23, NIV)