Tuesday, December 29, 2020
Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering. Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.” “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! Isaiah 49:13-15
Most preachers are always on the verge of saying
too much (at least, this preacher). And,
contrary to the stereo-mistype, it isn’t due to being in love with the sound of
their own voices; rather it is the excitement and urgency of communicating
eternal truth to those who are eager to hear it. What God’s people want is a word from their
Lord, and it matters little the messenger.
Hearing from Heaven is the point.
For the past 9 months I’ve felt a little pregnant;
the ever before us specter of COVID19, with all its’ malevolence,
has been a foreground, growing fetus from Hell.
It is impossible to feel “normal” or have a routine worship
service. Those of us who are impaled on
the Spirit of God’s pulpits, called to speak His Word, are compelled to face the
uncomfortable truth in the room. The
Virus is one of those uncomfortable, but unavoidable truths. And, like Paul, woe to the preacher who
speaks platitudes and placebos when he should be proclaiming, thus saith the
Lord[1].
The good news in this is that God is near to those
who will hear of the uncomfortable truth, heed the words of faith, and respond
to the call of the hour.
According to Isaiah, God’s people felt forsaken,
but God reassured them they were like a babe in his mother’s arms with their
Lord. Babies can get frightened at a loud
sound or the discomfort of a diaper long overdue to be changed. But the comforting, loving touch of an infant’s
mother can soothe a troubled little one.
That is the prophet’s message; God is nearby. God’s comforting Holy Spirit is watching over
every jot and tittle of His promises.
In the final analysis there is one aspect of this
pandemic season that is comfort for this uncomfortable truth: no sickness can bring enough darkness
to extinguish the light of God’s love.
And, for me, despite the discomfort within this
preacher at having to talk about the conditions of the day, the Comforter is
near enough to keep that truth whispered in my ear…and He does!
For You Today
You
chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!
Title image: via Pixabay.com W Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©
For another post on this text see Forgotten
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