Comfort & Strength in the Waiting: Part 4 (Isaiah 40:9-11)

The year 2020 has been a “Where is God in this?” kind of year.

A global pandemic.
Economic stress.
A passionately divided election.
Racial tension.
Natural disasters.
Spikes in suicides and mental health problems.
Fear, division, and conflict on all fronts.
A loss of normalcy.

The start of 2021 brings with it a sense of cautious hope for some, while the more skeptical prepare for another year that they don’t think will be much better. In times like these, it’s easier to understand why the unbelieving masses scoff at the idea that any God, let alone a good God, is here. The truth of a sovereign and loving God appears absurd to those who see only the current state of our world apart from the metanarrative of Scripture. It’s hard enough for those of us who do believe to wrestle through the paradoxes of suffering and blessing, of justice and mercy, of a good God and a broken world.

I imagine that the people of Judah had a hard time believing the good news of deliverance when it was proclaimed to them through their captivity as well. In Isaiah 40:9, the messengers are told to declare “Here is your God!” at the top of their lungs from a mountaintop without fear. Judah’s long exile in Babylon, though a consequence of her own choices, would no doubt have screamed, “Where? We certainly don’t see Him here!” The weariness of decades of waiting would have taken its toll.


“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for; the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).


The concept of faith has been watered down to a nice sentiment of wishful thinking. In reality, it is a firm conviction of what is true regardless of any circumstances that may seem to contradict that truth. It is based on evidence (faith gets its value from its object), and it is fleshed out through obedience. The “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11 is full of people who believed God and obeyed what He was calling them to do even through the most wretched of circumstances and even when doing so made them look ridiculous to others who were watching.

The people of Hebrews 11 did not believe blindly, and neither did God’s exiled people. They were not asked to believe in a God who hid away in the shadows but one who revealed His character. Isaiah 40:10-11 provides a picture of the God who rules with strength and might of a lion alongside gentleness and tenderness of a lamb. He is a sovereign God worthy of all submission, loyalty, trust, and devotion. He also humbled Himself to walk the earth as a man and suffer a criminal’s death so that He could set us free and hold us close. He is power and compassion together. He is truth and grace together. He is our competent and capable Leader and our understanding and caring Father.

What would our world be like if all our leaders possessed such qualities? The Bible gives us hope that we will not always be subject to authorities who are shifty, corrupt, arrogant, deceitful, and selfish. Verses 10 and 11 not only show God’s character, but they also point us to a glorious future where Jesus will return at His second coming and reign in righteousness for one thousand years on earth (commonly called the Millennium) before the final judgment and the creation of a new heaven and new earth.


“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).


While you wait for the provision of a new job, for the end of social distancing, for the return of large-scale gatherings, or whatever it is you are waiting for, you can find comfort and strength by cultivating your faith. Remind yourself of who God says He is, and look forward to the day when He will return and make all things right. Remember that He is here – He has not abandoned us. Listen to Mike Donehey’s new podcast, “Chasing the Beauty,” for more ideas on how to look for God in your everyday life. Trust that even through 2020, God has been causing “all things to work together for good to those who love [Him], to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Keep obeying Him, don’t grow weary of doing good, and know that “He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6b). If you seek Him, you will find Him – He wants to be found.

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Shirley

            She leaned down so that I could whisper in her ear with my hands cupped around my mouth.  My eyes darted over to my parents to make sure they weren’t paying attention as I divulged to my grandma the scheme my brother and I had devised to spy on Santa that Christmas Eve night.  Her blue eyes sparkled, and she barely contained her amusement as she listened to our plan to sneak back upstairs after Mom and Dad went to bed.  She delighted in her grandchildren, and we could do nearly no wrong in her sight.  

            However, I do remember one particular occasion that my brother was getting into mischief - enough to warrant a stern reprimand from the sweet-natured woman everyone knew wouldn’t hurt a fly.  “Ryan David Wayne!” she exclaimed with a scowl that quickly melted away as she realized her mistake of adding my Dad’s middle name into the rebuke of my brother.  My brother’s offense was completely forgotten by all three of us as we laughed together and went about our day.  

            We loved going to grandma’s house.  We’d sit on her lap and watch Cartoon Network while snacking on buttered pop-tarts, bread and butter, or her candy stash.   She knew I liked to draw and always made sure to have a stack of paper and colored pencils ready for me to use.  I’d play on her keyboard, and she’d tell me about how much she liked listening to Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, and George Strait.  Occasionally, I’d eat pickles, and she’d let me drink the pickle juice when they were gone.  She’d also make us strawberry milk and let us take it to bed until we accidentally spilled it all over the water bed one night.  Even with mishaps such as that, she adored us and would have given us the world if she could. 

            Grandma was always there.  She watched us overnight when our parents needed a sitter.  We knew we would see her at the end of any ballgame, concert, or school play.  When Grandpa bowled in a league, she would sometimes take us along to watch him.  I remember falling asleep on her lap there once.  At the motorcycle shop, she had toys we could play with, and she’d walk out with me to get a cream soda from the pop machine.  Even into adulthood, I could look forward to a phone call on my birthday and a birthday card every year from her and Grandpa.  After I was married and moved over 6 hours away, Grandma came with my parents to see our house and spend some time with us in Kansas.    

            Most holidays were spent at least in part at Grandma’s house, and we thoroughly enjoyed her family-famous chicken and homemade noodles, fried chicken, and scotcheroos.  She loved making her kids’ and grandkids’ favorite dishes.  In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Grandma relished the time when we would help her put up her Christmas decorations.  She would tell us stories about the older ornaments, and our excitement and innocence brought her great joy.  For Christmas Eve, we would attend the Christmas Eve service at Grandma’s church, and then she would always let us open at least one gift afterwards.  

            I was her “Sweetheart,” and she was one of my safest places on earth.  She loved her family fiercely and would have given her right arm for any of us.  Giving and taking care of everyone were her things.  Every goodbye was accompanied by a hug, a kiss on the cheek, and an “I love you.”  We loved her dearly too.

            This last goodbye has been harder to stomach.  Grandma tested positive for Covid-19, and it is also suspected that she may have had a stroke.  While her health had been declining for some time, we were still caught off guard when we were informed on November 25 that she had taken a turn.  On the afternoon of November 27, Grandma went home to be with Jesus.  Our hearts are aching with her absence, but we are grateful that her suffering has come to an end.  

Comfort & Strength in the Waiting: Part 3 (Isaiah 40:6-8)

 

            I can’t tell you much about my surroundings at the time other than that I was out in the front yard of my childhood home.  Ever contemplative even as a young child, my mind was given to frequent wanderings that led me so deep in thought that I was completely oblivious to the outside world.  I once looked up from reading a book to find myself alone in a dark classroom – everyone had gone to the cafeteria for lunch without me.  On this particular occasion, I was studying our clean-cut lawn.  Somehow, a question had arisen in my mind – probably extending out of a question I had been asked before: if I could be any animal, what animal would I be?  Out of inquisitiveness more than fear, my mind took it a step further and was searching for the answer as to whether there was anything I could be that would be completely free from danger.

            An ant is so small it can hide and go unnoticed, but it can also be stepped on.  Birds can fly but can also be shot out of the sky.  Every animal I could think of was prey to some sort of predator.  I could be one of the kitchen utensils, but they can all break, bend, or melt.  Surely tall buildings, mighty fortresses, would be immune – but even they fall to the destruction of fire, erosion, battering, and time.  A blade of grass, its rich color being the very representation of life, seemed safe enough.  Yet, even the grass can be cut.

            The truth I had unknowingly stumbled upon was that of the second law of thermodynamics.  Everything breaks down.  Everyone dies.  Flowers wither, mountains crumble, empires fall, and bodies decay.  No exceptions exist within the created world.  Everything we work for, long for, and wait for in this life is transient in the end.  All that we gain apart from Christ, we will one day lose in some way or another.  Still, somehow we are surprised by pain, suffering, and loss.        

            “A voice says, ‘Call out.’

            Then he answered, ‘What shall I call out?’

            All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 

            The grass withers, the flower fades,

            When the breath of the LORD blows upon it;

            Surely the people are grass. 

            The grass withers, the flower fades,

            But…” (Isaiah 40:6-8a).   

 

            But: how often I have sighed in grateful relief for this three letter word in Scripture. 

 

            “But the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8b). 

            God is not subjected to the ever-increasing entropy of this world because He is the holy Creator – the set apart source and origin of all life and energy.  He is a category all His own, and His Word stands firm – unshakeable and unchangeable.  His promises are sure, and His character is unchanging.  As the source, He is the only one who can provide and offer eternal life.  His power is the only power that can bring about resurrection and new life. 

            In his letter, Peter directly applies this passage in Isaiah to the good news that God did in fact provide and offer eternal life and resurrection to us through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus (see the first chapter of 1 Peter).  This good news, this message, this word of God is the only thing that will endure forever, and by trusting in Jesus (who is Himself called the Word of God – John 1:1), we also will live forever with Him.  When we trust in Him, we are “born again not of a seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23).  This truth is what lasts and what matters above all else.  We will all die physically (unless Jesus comes for us sooner) because we were all born physically and conceived by perishable seed of parents who are perishing day by day.  Those of us who have been “born again” by trusting in Jesus Christ “will live even if [we die]” (John 11:25) because we have been spiritually re-born through the imperishable Word of God.  God has provided the way for us to know more than decay, destruction, and loss.  This is why Paul can say, “…I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…” (Philipians 3:8). 

            From time to time, we need to remember the brevity of life and the temporary nature of all that we know and hold dear in this world alongside the steadfast eternity of God’s Word.  Doing so changes our perspective in a way that allows us to endure suffering, to wait with peace and hope, and to experience joy in a world that is quite literally crashing down around us as a result of sin.  It won’t always be this way.  We have a hope that is sure and steadfast.  Our faith is not wishful thinking, but it is a confident assurance of what we know to be true.  We have a rock and anchor to cling to not in our faith itself, but in the object of our faith: Jesus, the eternal, unchanging, unfading Word of God.  Knowing Him is worth far more than anything. 

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