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Comfort, O comfort my people,says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid,that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out:‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low;the uneven ground shall become level,and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together,for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ A voice says, ‘Cry out!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’All people are grass, their constancy 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 the word of our God will stand for ever. Get you up to a high mountain,O Zion, herald of good tidings;lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear;say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ See, the Lord God comes with might,and his arm rules for him;his reward is with him,and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms,and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep. (Isaiah 40:1-11)
There are certain parts of our body that if they are uncomfortable, or in pain, the rest of the body suffers. Take for instance, a toothache. A tooth is tiny compared to the rest of the body, but if it is in pain, the rest of the body suffers. If an ant bites you and your body doesn't react well to ant bites, your day is miserable. It's in pain, then you itch. Comfort is what you need and desire. Imagine feeling abandoned by God. Even though it was through their own choices and actions, the people of God felt alienated from God. Prophet after prophet came with messages from God that basically said, Get right with God and God will be right here with you. The cycle was that people would get right, they would enjoy some years of God's blessings, then they'd fall back and do what they knew they shouldn't do, and they felt alienated again from God. Very few of our personal relationships would tolerate such a cycle. I don't imagine our spouses would put up with a cycle of unfaithfulness. Yet, God's love is so great that this passage demonstrates that. The first words from the prophet as he heard them from God: "Comfort, O comfort my people...speak tenderly to Jerusalem..." Her time of alienation from God was coming to an end. A voice was coming that would say Good News is coming. The Lord will act on our behalf, and the glory of the Lord will be revealed; all people would see it.
The Good News is that every obstacle that we think is blocking us from God's love has been removed! If you feel like you're in a valley, that valley is now lifted up. If you're facing a mountain, that mountain or hill has been made low. If you feel you've been walking on uneven ground, that ground has been level; and if you're in a rough place, it is now smooth. God, who is our shepherd, has acted on our behalf through Jesus, for Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy of that voice crying in the wilderness. Jesus is the human embodiment of that shepherd who has fed and is feeding His flock, and it is Jesus who is gathering us in His arms and who will carry us in His bosom.
Notice how safe and secure most infants sleep when in their mother or father's arms. All that you think was keeping you from rest in your Father's arms is gone, and you can rest secure in God's loving embrace and face life with that certainty and sureness that God is with us. That's Good News!
PRAYER: Awesome Father, thank You for this passage and more importantly, thank You for Jesus who has removed all barriers and obstacles to Your love. Embrace us and hold us; and carry us through difficult parts of our lives. Whatever this dear reader is facing, Lord, in Your mercy and strength, see them through; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share the Good News with someone in need today!
Eradio Valverde
Prayer Updates: Rev. Virgilio Vasquez Garza's eye pressure has dropped to acceptable levels and for that we thank God. Please pray the levels stay there or drop even further. Rev. Scott Bradford has had all removed from his surgery and he is thankful; praise God for that. We ask prayers for Mrs. Jane Boothe, who was in ICU yesterday in the Gonzales Hospital. We pray for her healing and strength. Again, thank you for your prayers!
