God, you are so good to me! Thank you for speaking into my heart and life. Your word is such an incredible blessing by the way it brings your thoughts into my mind.
I'm reading Isaiah 60:15-22 today. Why don't you take a couple of minutes to read it through, preferably more than once. Let the Holy Spirit personalize what he has inspired to be written. Here's what I find God emphasizing to me:
Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. (v. 20).
These words bring me so much hope. They are spoken out of the dark periods of life when it feels like there's nothing but despair. God reminds me that he's far from done with me, far from done with his people. This prophecy has at least two main points of reference. One is to God's promise that as hopeless as life can seem at times, the sun will come out again. Jerusalem would be destroyed by the Babylonians but the bleakness of the exile wouldn't last forever. Restoration was coming! And in my own life the same promise holds true.
In 2009 while I was rocked by Cathy's fight with cancer this verse spoke encouragement to me. My life was peppered with sad and anxiety-filled days. God promised me through this verse that they wouldn't last forever. The dark alley would have an end. And so it has. His promise has been kept! He has brought the sunshine back into my life. He has turned my sorrow into joy!
But there is another point of reference here. This current life is always going to have its ups and downs, it's sunny times and its rainstorms. But God is pointing ahead to a time coming for us all when days of sorrow have made their very last appearance. I am so excited by the thought that in Heaven and the New Earth eternal happiness are coming my way! So my hope is ultimately there. It's where I'm headed. And no one and nothing rob me of my place by God's side. Thank you, Father! I'm rejoicing in you!
Please share your thoughts by commenting below!
This verse also speaks volumes to me as I reflect on my own life. Life can often times seem so dark and unchanging as we go through times of sorrow and discouragement.....but this verse has such hope and truth!!
ReplyDeleteI also like the last sentence of this chapter:
"............At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen." (v. 22)
I have always held on to this!! God knows exactly what we need and he loves to surprise us w/ his blessings after we are faithful through the hard and dark times!
Chris, I am so glad that the sun has come back out for you!! There is no better feeling in the world!
Lord, thank you that you know exactly what we are going through, what we need to take away from every experience, and how you plan to bless us after our times of sorrow!! Help us to rest in your arms as the sunshine flows into our lives!
Michele
Thanks for calling our attention to that last statement from verse 22, Michele! What a great thought to hold onto. God's timing may seem slow to us but he's always right on time. And when he decides to bless us, he makes it happen! God bless you!
ReplyDeleteMany times we feel as though our prayers go unanswered, but the fact is, is that it's in God's timing, not ours... Sometimes we SO want our clocks to be God's clocks, or at least I know I do....Then God so gently whispers to me "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord".... Jesus is teaching me just that.... for He IS the everlasting Light, the everlasting God.. AMEN!
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