As a first-grade teacher, part of my job is to help some of the littles learn how to reign in some of their challenging behaviors. This year’s class was an exceptionally spicy little bunch. On one particular day, I had to pull several students into the hallway so they could fill out a “Think About It” sheet to help them understand what they had done wrong. About a half hour later, one little boy approached me, lifted his beautiful brown eyes to me, and asked if I still loved him. I gave him a big hug and let him know that I still loved him. That just because he made a poor choice, didn’t mean I stopped loving him.
The next morning I was in chapter 40 of the book of Isaiah. It opens up by saying this, “‘Comfort, comfort my people,’ says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.:
These prophetic verses were written to the Jewish people who were to be exiled in Babylonian captivity. They were captives because God’s people had turned their back on God and this was their judgment. So here they were removed from the Promised Land and being held by this Pagan country- and it was all their fault.
Yet, here we see that God wants His people to be comforted with the promise of redemption- God’s beautiful plan for salvation- so while the chapter is speaking about their return from Babylonian captivity- it also is pointing them to Christ. The chapter continues with, “Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, ‘Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!’”
It’s in the wilderness, in the wasteland - not walking among the beautiful grasses, alongside a babbling brook. God is meeting them in the mess, in the barrenness they had created.
The chapter continues in verse 10, “Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep and their young.”
What an amazing picture of God- he is a strong leader, he restored all they had lost, and he protects those who are weak and in his care.
Isaiah is a chapter of comfort.
I know there are times when I want to hide my face from God because I’ve messed up again, I feel so ashamed, and unloveable. And, sometimes I find myself in this desert land- dried out, exhausted, and feeling all alone. And life is hard. Like really, hard sometimes. And I’m a pull-up by my bootstraps kind of girl; forge ahead, don't look back, keep going, tougher than tough, don’t stop. So, it’s no surprise that God sends me to the wilderness often to remind me just how small I am. I was never meant to go through it alone- without him. We are on the other side of where the Israelites were. We can have redemption and salvation in Christ. We have the fullness of God through Christ. He still loves me, forgives me, directs me, restores me, and revives me. He can use the difficult times (whether they are due to my shortcomings, or someone else’s) to refine us to become more like Him.
I don't have to ask God if he still loves me, I know that he does. I want my children to know that God is bigger than their wrong choices, bigger than their insecurities, and so much bigger than their doubts.
I want my children to know they don’t have to ask God if he still loves them. He does. He loves them. Yes, they have messed up and will continue to mess up. And, yes, they have to deal with the consequences and that can hurt sometimes. But, God is longing to comfort them and restore all that was lost.
-Lindsey