Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Comfort for God’s People
 Isaiah 40:1-11
 Moncy Mathews

 Baltimore MTC, MD

8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever…10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm…11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart…”


Recently, it seems not a day passes by without the mention of terror in the headlines. How do Christians respond when our days are plagued with terror, fear, and injustice? When helplessness is coupled with hopelessness, will peace or overall despair prevail?

 
 Hope prevails in the believer’s life. The passage in Isaiah 40: 1-11 is the guarantee of comfort. In this passage we see three interesting aspects. First, verse 8 reminds us our mortal lives have an expiration date but the Word of God does not. Second, verse 10 suggests the Sovereign Lord is powerful and He rules. Third, verse 11 reminds us that God tends to His flock like a shepherd and carries them close to His heart.

Our lives are compared to withering grass and falling flowers. This suggests our frailty and demonstrates the position God should have in our lives. Our short existence in this world depends on the Grace of God and during tumultuous times the Word of our God is the only constant, enduring source of comfort. God knew we would need reminders, constant consistent reminders about His providence and the level of security we find in Him. His Word endures forever even if our earthly lives have an expiration date.

The Sovereign Lord is powerful and He rules. People are utterly lost due to the lack of control over the chaos in their lives. So God reminds us He rules and He is powerful. This means He is aware of our predicament, our illnesses, our circumstance and our hopelessness. God already knows how, when and where to intervene because He rules and He is mighty. Sometimes we let the magnitude of our problems diminish the power of the All-Mighty God. The Goliaths we face in life will surely fall when God is on our side.
 At times, we struggle to understand where God is when all this evil is happening in and around our lives. The presence of evil doesn’t negate the existence of God. In fact, His word reminds us that He tends to His flock and carries them close to His heart. Can we ever find a more comforting place than being close to the heart of God? God loves us so much that He died for us. Let us do our part by shining, loving others and sharing the Good News to dispel the darkness in this world.

PRAYER

Lord, help us to allow You to rule in our lives, so that Your Word takes root and brings forth comfort to a desperate world in need of hope. In Jesus name we pray. Amen

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Comfort is a guaranteed blessing for believers. 

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