Isaiah 30:18-21 Easy-to-Read Version
God Will Help His People
18 So the Lord is waiting to show his mercy to you. He wants to rise and comfort you. The Lord is the God who does the right thing, so he will bless everyone who waits for his help.
19 You people who live in Jerusalem on Mount Zion will not continue crying. The Lord will hear your crying, and he will comfort you. When he hears you, he will help you.
20 The Lord might give you sorrow and pain like the bread and water you eat every day. But God is your teacher, and he will not continue to hide from you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. 21 If you wander from the right path, either to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice behind you saying, “You should go this way. Here is the right way.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Good morning, church family! Today, we’re going to dive into a passage from the book of Isaiah, one that speaks to the very heart of our walk with Jesus.
It’s about God’s favor in times of trouble, His promise of comfort and restoration, and His blessing of divine guidance. These are themes that resonate deeply, especially in these uncertain and challenging times.
Reverend Charles Spurgeon once said, “God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”
I have to ask, Isn’t that a powerful reminder of God’s unfailing love, wisdom?
God’s Favour in Times of Trouble
In the midst of our trials and tribulations, it is often difficult to perceive God’s favor. Yet, the scripture passage from Isaiah 30:18-21 assures us that God’s favor is not absent in times of trouble, but rather, it is most profoundly present.
The first verse, “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you,” is a powerful testament to God’s enduring love and favor towards us, even in our darkest hours.
Favor definition: The Hebrew word for favor, ‘hen’, connotes grace, kindness, and acceptance. It is a divine attribute that God bestows upon His people, not because we have earned it, but because of His utterly boundless love and mercy.
This favor is not a guarantee of a trouble-free life, but rather, it is the assurance of God’s living presence, guidance, and sustenance in the midst of our troubles.
Not a passive concept: It is not a mere comforting thought to hold onto when we are in distress. Rather, it is an active, dynamic force that propels us forward, enabling us to navigate through our trials with courage, resilience, and hope.
It is God’s favor that gives us the strength to endure, the wisdom to understand, the wisdom to stop, be still, sit still stay still and the faith to trust in His divine plan, even when the sum of our circumstances seem bleak and insurmountable.
God’s favor in times of trouble and uncertainty manifests itself in various ways:
For some, it may be the sudden provision of resources in times of need. For others, it may be the unexpected help from a stranger, the comforting words from a friend, or the inner peace that surpasses all understanding. (John 14:27)
Yet, for all, God’s sure and trustworthy promise of favor is the assurance of His utterly unfailing love, His unwavering presence, and His unchanging promises.
A transformative force:
It not only sustains us in our trials but also shapes us through them.
It molds our character, refines our faith, and deepens our dependence on God.
Through the fires of the very hottest of furnaces of affliction, we are so slowly, inexorably, transformed into vessels of honour, newly fit for the Master’s use.
Proverbs 27:17 Easy-to-Read Version
17 As one piece of iron sharpens another, so friends keep each other sharp.
A testament to His divine justice:
As the scripture says, “For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” God’s justice is not merely punitive; but it is also restorative.
He brings good out of evil, hope out of despair, strength from weakness, and life out of death.
His favor is His divine response to our human predicament, a testament to His commitment to restore, redeem, and renew all things in His time, in His way.
Not a magic wand that instantly removes our troubles;
Rather, it is the divine assurance that in the midst of our troubles, we are not alone, we are not forgotten, and we are not defeated. It is the divine promise that though we may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we need fear no evil, for God is with us, His rod and His staff, they always comfort us.
The Promise of Comfort and Restoration
2 Corinthians 13:5-10 Amplified Bible
5 Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as [committed] believers. Examine yourselves [not me]! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves [by an ongoing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit? 6 But I hope you will acknowledge that we do not fail the test nor are we to be rejected. 7 But I pray to God that you may do nothing wrong. Not so that we [and our teaching] may appear to be approved, but that you may continue doing what is right, even though we [by comparison] may seem to have failed. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth [and the gospel—the good news of salvation]. 9 We are glad when we are weak [since God’s power comes freely through us], but you [by comparison] are strong. We also pray for this, that you be made complete [fully restored, growing and maturing in godly character and spirit—pleasing your heavenly Father by the lives you live]. 10 For this reason I am writing these things while absent from you, so that when I come, I will not need to deal so severely [with you], in my use of the authority which the Lord has given me [to be used] for building you up and not for tearing you down.
The promises of comfort and restoration are not just a soothing balm for our present pain, but those promises of comfort and restoration also carries with them the solemn assurance of a future restoration that God has planned for us.
God, our Single, Only Greatest Best Friend Forever
Psalm 25:12-18 English Standard Version
12 Who is the man who fears the Lord?
Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
13 His soul shall abide in well-being,
and his offspring shall inherit the land.
14 The friendship[a] of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
I will often picture God sitting on an ornate throne made of rare metals, adorned with priceless jewels, and upholstered in the finest fabric.
Some Bible passages portray God in a similar way.
But, what if, for a moment, we close our eyes, quiet our souls, and imagine God differently? What if God—still in all his glory and splendor—isn’t sitting in lavishness associated with royalty but instead is sitting at the corner booth in a local coffee shop, or on the couch in your family room, eagerly waiting for you?
What if God, who is so excited to see you, suddenly, upon seeing you, leaps from his seated position and embraces you, hugs, like a friend who longs to hear how you are doing and what you have been up to? Would you run away or stay still?
While you are sharing a meal, what if God, in both his divine and human nature, gives you his undivided attention as you sit in a corner booth in Burger King and invites you to share with him your life, your story, your joys, your concerns too?
What if . . . ?
How do you see God today?
Or, maybe a better question: How do you need to see God today?
The beauty of God is that he is not only the King of all creation but also the single most patient most attentive of best friends who will always be near.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 8 Complete Jewish Bible
8 (0) For the leader. On the gittit. A psalm of David:
2 (1) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious
is your name throughout the earth!
The fame of your majesty
spreads even above the heavens!
3 (2) From the mouths of babies and infants at the breast
you established strength because of your foes,
in order that you might silence
the enemy and the avenger.
4 (3) When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and stars that you set in place —
5 (4) what are mere mortals, that you concern yourself with them;
humans, that you watch over them with such care?
6 (5) You made him but little lower than the angels,
you crowned him with glory and honor,
7 (6) you had him rule what your hands made,
you put everything under his feet —
8 (7) sheep and oxen, all of them,
also the animals in the wilds,
9 (8) the birds in the air, the fish in the sea,
whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
10 (9) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious
is your name throughout the earth!
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 