May 22, 2013    Everything is going to be alright.

Well I have been lingering in chapter 30 of Isaiah for a while; but I am learning a lot and that is all that really matters. Let’s look at verses 18 & 19 first. And in case I haven’t mentioned, I am using the NIV translation. Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you. He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him. O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious He will be when you cry for help? As soon as He hears He will answer.

Now this is my interpretation of these verses applied to my life. First, let’s look at the word “yet”. It means “even to a greater extent”. Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t usually put much thought to these seemingly useless sentence connectors. And of course, I don’t really know if these were the actual words originally written. But it is all I have to work with; so it is what I will use. Anyway, in verses 18 & 19 the Lord begins to show his compassion rather than the judgment previously discussed in verses 16 & 17. He begins by saying “yet” or to an even greater extent –than the judgments I just gave you- more than that….I “long” [want, desire] to be “gracious” [generous, compassionate]to you. That’s right…to me! (Now some may want to argue that these verses are not specifically written about me; I say if I don’t apply them to my life, they have no meaning.)

So, this makes me think of being a parent. How much more do we prefer to bless our children rather than discipline them? We strive so hard to give them the life we didn’t have and to witness their ungratefulness is difficult to take at times. But our goal is not to offer constant judgment; our goal is the desire to be compassionate. And that is our Father’s goal for us. Stop and really think about it. How often are we ungrateful for His efforts of giving us the life He did not have? (Ouch-that’s not very pretty is it?) 

“He rises”? Really? Like, ‘wakes up’…. I didn’t think he slept. Either way, whether He is sleeping or resting, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that He gets up from whatever it is He is doing “to show or confirm to me (yes me!!!) “compassion,” mercy or understanding. Does anyone in your house rise up just to show you compassion for that day? I mean, how often do you hear, “”Hey baby, let me stop everything I’m doing just to show you a little kindness”? Very often? I didn’t think so. But we do have someone who does stop everything just for us. Why? “For the Lord is a God of justice”! That’s right- he is fair; he deals with me appropriately-not as I deserve but with mercy renewed each morning. How awesome is that? Not only is He just, but if I wait-rest in expectation of His mercy- I will be blessed [favored, fortunate, adored]. When is the last time you rested in expectation of His mercy?

While researching the different meanings of the word weep, I really got tickled and decided to use the word ‘blubbering’. Blubbering, to me, offers the full picture of one of those uncontrollable cries where you can barely catch your breath. Feel free to replace the word ‘blubbering’ with more grown up words such as mourn, sob or cry in agony or maybe just a good-ole Southern bawl. Any way you look at it; the bottom line is -it will stop, when I “cry for help”. To ‘cry’ for help requires some pretty charged up emotions. It involves, shouting, yelling, proclaiming. To cry for help is not to offer  meek, soft-spoken words. It is heartfelt and gut-wrenching. Then that mercy, compassion that He arose and desires to give me is released; but NOT before I ask for it. It requires an action on my part. And when does He do this- as soon as- immediately. When do we respond to a newborn crying? Immediately. When do we respond to our child’s desperate screams for help? Immediately. And how do we respond? With words and a touch that offers reassurance and comfort. We grab them and hold them and tell them everything is going to be alright. That is what our Father wants to do to us. We just have to let him. We just have to stop all the blubbering and shout to the One that will scoop us up, hold us tight and tell us, everything is going to be alright.