Through Isaiah, God says, "Comfort, comfort my people." Isaiah 40 is one of the first places I go when life gets hard. There's so much in this chapter that can bring us peace and optimism, and when I read it, I feel like I can actually get through whatever is in front of me.
Isaiah's answer is to behold your God and wait on him faithfully. That is where comfort lies.
Where is comfort when life gets dark?
We recently celebrated Abigail's seventh birthday. According to the experts, that was never supposed to happen. But for the first 4 months of her life, she was very sick. We didn't know how long she would live.
I'm thankful for the time Abigail has been given. Still, this can be a tough time of year for me. Back then, we sometimes felt like the bad things would never end. Those were dark times.
I know I'm not the only one. Some of you have recently lost people you love. Some are struggling with your kids or your parents, with money, or with your health. And some of you may be going through your darkest days right now.
Hezekiah and the prayers we try to bargain with
In Isaiah 38, King Hezekiah was deathly ill. He turned his face to the wall and prayed, "Please, oh Lord, remember how I walked before you in faithfulness." God said he would add 15 years to his life, not that he would heal him.
We bargain with God too: I've been a good person. I obey the laws on the road, except maybe the speed limit a little bit. Haven't I earned it?
Then in Isaiah 39, visitors come from Babylon, and Hezekiah shows them everything. When Isaiah tells him it will all be carried to Babylon, Hezekiah says, "The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good." For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my days." He didn't really seem to care what happened after him. He just wanted the things that he wanted.
God knows better than we do. Next time you go to God in a truly challenging time, don't ask him to give you things. Instead, praise him and thank him for his plan for your life, regardless of how it might turn out for you.
Behold your God
says, "Behold your God." If you doubt what God is capable of in your life, behold him. Verse 12 asks, "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand?"
I lived in Florida for 10 years, and Amanda and I would go to the beach because she wanted to. I hate sand. You end up having a relationship with it, because it stays with you.
And yet God knows the sand. He knows the dust of the earth and can weigh it in a measure. Your troubles aren't too big for this God.
One of Abigail's favorite songs in class is "My God is so big, so strong, and so mighty." Then we grow up, pay bills and enter into 30-year relationships with our houses. We forget that God is capable.
If God has a perfect plan for my life, you know what I get to do? I get to stop losing sleep at night trying to figure out a plan for myself.
God doesn't need our advice
Verse 13 asks, "Who has measured the spirit of the Lord or what man shows him his counsel?" No one does. You can't offer God an answer to a problem that he hasn't already thought through.
Job lost essentially everything and lashed out at God. In , God answers him, "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" It's the same thing God says through Isaiah 40: Who do you think you are?
What does it mean to wait on the Lord?
says, "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength." That sounds almost passive, like we're on hold with the internet company. But waiting is something that we must do faithfully. Otherwise, it would be easy: I'd just go home, take naps and wait for God to drop a great-paying job in my lap.
If God has a perfect plan for my life, I can stop losing sleep trying to figure out a plan for myself. I can use what he's blessed me with to serve him and be faithful. That doesn't mean God will give you everything you want on your terms. If he did, Abigail would be a lot different than she is, and I'd probably be a little taller.
There is still work to be done in God's kingdom. If not you because you have something difficult going on in your life, then who? If not me, then who?
Comfort for those who are in Christ
But this comfort is only for those in Christ. If you have not committed your life to God and been baptized into his blood, so that he can claim you as one of his, your troubles may get better from time to time. In the end, though, there will be no comfort.
For those who are in Christ, it does not matter how difficult this life gets. "They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint." That is the picture of comfort.
Go home this afternoon and read all of Isaiah 40, and watch the whole sermon. If you are in a dark time, we would be glad to pray for you. We'd love for you to plan your first visit and worship with us.
