“Comfort,
oh comfort my people,” says your God.
“Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her hardship has
ended, that her iniquity has been removed…”
oh comfort my people,” says your God.
“Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her hardship has
ended, that her iniquity has been removed…”
Isaiah
40:1-2
40:1-2
By all accounts, and at first glance, this verse appears to
be quite similar to the verse shared in last week’s blog. To speak words of comfort is to speak a good
word, is it not? Indeed. Yet, something else struck me as I studied
this verse, and it left me with another category that NEEDS TO BE DECLARED, and
often!
be quite similar to the verse shared in last week’s blog. To speak words of comfort is to speak a good
word, is it not? Indeed. Yet, something else struck me as I studied
this verse, and it left me with another category that NEEDS TO BE DECLARED, and
often!
A good word
from the tongue of the wise brings healing (Proverbs 12:18b). I love that thought. I especially love it in light of so many who
have struggled with shame over past sin.
Shame is a horrible, crippling thing to live with, and it ought not to
be. Yet, how often do we, the church in
general, not walk with sinners right out of their shame-filled-journeys into
healing?
from the tongue of the wise brings healing (Proverbs 12:18b). I love that thought. I especially love it in light of so many who
have struggled with shame over past sin.
Shame is a horrible, crippling thing to live with, and it ought not to
be. Yet, how often do we, the church in
general, not walk with sinners right out of their shame-filled-journeys into
healing?
That’s the question this verse raised for me this week. So often, when I meet with women of all ages,
we almost always get to issues of the heart.
What I hear most often is just how difficult it is to get beyond a
painful past. What I hear from so many
is that even in church, even among Christian people, who love them (and they
know they are loved), there is still a sense of judgment. What I hear is that so many feel this barrier
distancing them from ever being really close, because past moral failure stands
between them like a pink elephant in the room that no one wants to
discuss.
we almost always get to issues of the heart.
What I hear most often is just how difficult it is to get beyond a
painful past. What I hear from so many
is that even in church, even among Christian people, who love them (and they
know they are loved), there is still a sense of judgment. What I hear is that so many feel this barrier
distancing them from ever being really close, because past moral failure stands
between them like a pink elephant in the room that no one wants to
discuss.
However, look again at the verse above. Jerusalem, God’s beloved people, has been
stuck in sin. Yet God calls the prophet
to call out and proclaim that her iniquity has been satisfied! By doing so, his beloved is comforted. The barrier sin has created is demolished,
and Jerusalem is free! Free to
serve. Free to live. Free to be loved fully, and free to
love. The truth about God’s request is
that it’s IMPORTANT – that’s why he says the word “comfort” twice. When God wants to stress something that is
BIG, he repeats himself. Not only is it
important to proclaim the iniquity has been paid for, but it’s important how it’s done. We can only comfort repentant sinners with a kind word.
stuck in sin. Yet God calls the prophet
to call out and proclaim that her iniquity has been satisfied! By doing so, his beloved is comforted. The barrier sin has created is demolished,
and Jerusalem is free! Free to
serve. Free to live. Free to be loved fully, and free to
love. The truth about God’s request is
that it’s IMPORTANT – that’s why he says the word “comfort” twice. When God wants to stress something that is
BIG, he repeats himself. Not only is it
important to proclaim the iniquity has been paid for, but it’s important how it’s done. We can only comfort repentant sinners with a kind word.
The Hebrew word for kind is different than the word for
good. Here is what the Lord is really
saying: Put to ease and strengthen the heart of my sinful child. Use kind words, words that speak to the
feelings of the inner man, and influence the mind toward belief.
good. Here is what the Lord is really
saying: Put to ease and strengthen the heart of my sinful child. Use kind words, words that speak to the
feelings of the inner man, and influence the mind toward belief.
I am so challenged, once again, with my speech. I am challenged to not be afraid to speak of
the very thing that we think we ought to avoid, but bring it to light, because
it is part of all our stories. It is
important to comfort one another, the sinner, by speaking words of truth that
ease the heart, and strengthen faith.
Let us all journey side-by-side, until shame is a thing of the
past. This is an important job, and
should be the joy, of every church.
the very thing that we think we ought to avoid, but bring it to light, because
it is part of all our stories. It is
important to comfort one another, the sinner, by speaking words of truth that
ease the heart, and strengthen faith.
Let us all journey side-by-side, until shame is a thing of the
past. This is an important job, and
should be the joy, of every church.