Reason to Sing; the Comforter is Near

 

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

If you’ve really had it, up to your ears and overflowing with 2020’s COVID grim reaper, and you’re so looking forward to getting on to 2021, remember, the virus doesn’t have a calendar.  But God does!  And when it comes to keeping His promises about comforting His people in their troubles, He’s right on time!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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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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[1] 1 Corinthians 9:16

 

Forgotten

[1]

Friday, December 29, 2017

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^(NLT)

When our family gets together there are (by actual count) more than a dozen IPhones on the loose.  And when we’re trying to coordinate four households showing up at a theme park at the same time, in the same sector of a huge parking lot…well, let’s say the texting wars sound like the bell-ringers have arrived!  Someone will do a “fat-finger” goof, so OTW (On-the-way) becomes OTB, and the translation puns start to pile-on:

Ding…OTB – you On-The-Beach?

Ding…OTB – I didn’t know you were into Off-Track-Betting J

Ding…OTB – Where-r- you parked…Omaha-Transportation-Booth?  

It happened again this week, although I’m happy to say there were no death-threats this time.  But when I went to delete the whole thread there were 168 texts; I’m surprised there were no death threats, especially from me!

The whole point of sharing this is, with today’s abundance of communication tools, there’s no place to hide.  And nobody gets left out.  And that’s a good thing for a family, because there are so many ways to feel left out, left behind, or forgotten!

Israel felt that way, collectively-forgotten in a strange land.  The Babylonian captivity was like being forgotten in back of the tool shed for decades.  Every never-ending day drags-on like someone forgot to wind the clock and nobody cares whether you’re alive or dead.  There is no slower time than time-out; just ask a six-year old who has sinned egregiously by kicking his Dad in the shin because he doesn’t like carrots, and he’d rather be outside playing, but has to stay at the table until he at least tastes the hated veggie.

The nation of Israel had sinned a lot worse than that.  They collectively had forgotten their covenant with God and had fallen into idol worship.  When God sent prophets to warn them to either turn back, or prepare to suffer the consequences, the prophets were ignored, or, even worse, the prophets were killed.  The subsequent overwhelming judgment God sent was at the hand of Babylon’s King, Nebuchadnezzar, and lasted for 70 years.  It was easy to feel they had been forgotten by God.

But punishment is never to be confused with being discarded.  God had not forgotten His beloved Israel, the jewel of His covenant.  They were being purified, cleansed, and straightened-out, not discarded. 

It’s called discipline:

Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.  Deuteronomy 8:5^(NLT)

For You Today

If you’ve been through a time when you felt forgotten by God, know that discipline doesn’t last forever; the perfect loving embrace of God awaits those who repent and turn to their father…even if you’ve kicked Him in the shins!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com