November 29 l Isaiah 35:1-10

Gene Pierce
Nov 29
2 min read

DAILY READING

REFLECTION

Who Can You Trust?

By Gene Pierce

After predicting the destruction of Israel and centuries of disappointment, Isaiah here tells Israel that one day God’s punishment will end. Good news!

More good news! When the punishment ended, Isaiah said the people of Israel wouldn’t just revert to their old relationship with God. Instead they would find themselves in an era of marvelous miracles and blessings. Something new was going to break out and change their relationship to the Father.

More than just getting their homes back, Isaiah predicted the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will walk, the dumb will speak, the broken hearted will be lifted up. Deserts would burst with water and bloom with flowers, highways will be safe and straight, and the people of God would enter Zion with singing and everlasting joy.

To the thousands of ancient Jews trapped in Jerusalem by a pagan army inflicting siege-induced starvation, this would have sounded absolutely crazy. How could all that happen?

However, God’s promises do come true. It was true then and it's true now.

The Jews were told they would return in glory to the land that God promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It came true.

The deaf, blind, lame and dumb were healed.

God sent a Messiah to ransom and redeem his people.

Please note: Isaiah wasn’t playing to his audience saying, “Sorry I bummed you out with all this doomsday stuff, let me throw you a cupcake.” He was just relaying God's words as he heard them.

And we must be careful, our wishing isn’t the same as God’s will. These miracles were and are an act of God. It is his will being done, in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity. Our wishing doesn’t make it so.

We need to train our heart to trust God even when his will is painful or disruptive of our personal interests -- or not on our time schedule. That's what the Israelites had to do as they faced the Assyrians.

And that's the attitude the Apostle Paul shared when he wrote to the beleaguered church in Rome, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Can we trust God to redeem us, and our world?

Yes. Always.

PRAYER

Lord, help us trust Your promise that You will redeem us and resurrect us and help us show that trust in daily words and actions that honor You.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gene Pierce

Gene is a long time member of UALC and our International Missions Committee and a former Council member, still learning how to balance life, work and faith. Gene and his wife Elaine are blessed to be parents of four and grandparents of nine.