Image from ndcnews.org
Hear the podcast here: https://bit.ly/3qgFkas
1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. 2 The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. 3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. (Isaiah 62:1-5. New Revised Standard Version Bible)
¡Bienvenidos al dia martes! Welcome to Tuesday! Blessings abound for you, ConCafe Family, when you decide to hitch your wagon to the One who made the stars! And may the blessings of that awesome ride be yours, dear Friend is my prayer for you! Please continue in prayer for one another. Pray for yourselves and your needs.
I share a story from my years in campus ministry. I was the United Methodist campus minister at then-Pan American University, now The University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley. I was an instructor of Bible in the Bible Department, and students who enrolled in my classes received university credits towards their degree and I had a captive audience with which to share the gospel as well as to cultivate disciples for our afterhours program. In my six years as campus minister I did more counseling in that first year then I imagined I would have done in ten years of ministry in a local church. I had students who had never owned or even held a Bible; I could not write on the board John 3:16 and expect all of them to know what that meant. So, my first class session was devoted to learning about the Bible and how to read book and chapters and verses. My program was in the building owned and run by the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville. I had an office in this very modern building; had access to a classroom for my classes, and if scheduled right, I had the entire building for after hours ministry programs. And I met some incredible students in those six years.
I was asked by one of my students if I could counsel her. Of course I agreed and was not prepared for her story. Most, if not all, students worked to pay their way through their university years. This young woman worked at a now defunct department store in the woman's department. One day a lady came in and seemed to follow her around until she approached the student and said to her, "I am your mother." Just like that. No warning, no pre-explanation. This shocked the young woman and she said, "No, I have a mother, and it's not you!" The woman on the verge of tears said, "No, that's not your mother; she's my sister. I'm your mother." The young lady ran into a fitting room and cried inconsolably. The woman followed her in and explained that she was the youngest of a very big family and her birth was unexpected and she, the mother, made the decision to give her away in hopes of her having a better life. This of course made the student ask, "Why me? Why did you give me away?" And thus my meeting with her. To this day I do not have the answers to the questions this young woman had; why was she selected to be given away?
The passage today speaks of those days when Israel and the people of God felt abandoned and neglected. Chief among their feelings was their not being wanted by God. And the answer was, in most of the cases of Israel's history, the result of their bad decisions or the bad rulers they had, and defeats to enemies who carried them off and held them captive. The word used in this passage is Forsaken, and the land on which they lived was named Desolate. God heard their pleas and cries and sends word through Isaiah the prophet that these days were soon coming to an end. No longer would their name be Forsaken; their new name would be My Delight Is in Her; and the name of the land was changed from Desolate to Married. The joy and celebration of the love and acceptance that comes in a marriage would be their feeling because God was calling them back, and God would rejoice once again in them.
I don't know your story and how you are feeling right now. But I do know we all have gone through some tough periods in our lives. Most would say this pandemic and this dreaded virus has made life so difficult and challenging. I would suspect that we may have felt the title Forsaken may have been ours either through a decision we made, or was made for us; but the good news is that God never gave up on us, and has longed for our return home, into His loving arms. Your story has not yet been fully written, and the pen is in God's hands. Your name may even be changed by God to describe your new state, and all while being in God's hands.
PRAYER: Loving Father, as You write the rest of our story, guide us to where we need to be. May old feelings and regrets be erased and may we rejoice in what is yet to come. Bring healing, comfort, joy, and peace to us all; and let us share what we receive with others as well. This we believe and receive in the name of Jesus our Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share some joy with those in need of it.
Receive my blessings of peace and love,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
