Comfort for God's People.

Isaiah 40:1-11
1 Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
6 A voice says, "Cry out."
And I said, "What shall I cry?"
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever."
9 You who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
"Here is your God!"
10 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

Happy Friday! I find this passage very interesting as begin to wrap up the second week of Advent. My favorite verse is 8. It's simple, concise, and so true. Throughout today's passage we hear about God's promise to save his children.

I love the analogies that are presented...the grass, the wind, etc. What this is saying is that things become old and so do people. Most importantly, people change perhaps because of something that is occurring in their life which distracts them. Not to mention, there's so little time in a day for.....

In verse 6, God's people's faithfulness is described. It sounds like we're not very constant in our faith. However, I think what it's saying is the fact that God knows every little detail. He know all the blades of grass and even the hairs on your head. God desires for his blessed children to be safe in his holy name. God does what he has to do in many cases to make his promise known. God is the provider of our strength and peace.

So, all in all, people may be like grass blowing in the wind. That doesn't mean God isn't God. Our God is the Lord of all Lords. He can still follow through with his promises because he cares enough about us. God is the comforter of one and all: the strong, the weak, and those stuck on the middle road.