July 5, 2013 | Isaiah’s Comfort

 

For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:

 

“In returning and rest you shall be saved;

In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”

(Isaiah 30:15 NKJV)

 
 

Life is wearying

One of the undeniable truths here between the garden & heaven is that life is wearying. Through the eons, authors have described this with graphic similes. Here are a few of my favorites:

  • His state [from the drain of constant work] was like a flabby orange whose crushed skin is thin with pulling, and all dented in. – Amy Lowell
  • I could lie down like a tired child, and weep away the life of care. – Percy Bysshe Shelley
  • Weary and exhausted as though I had travelled along an unending road. – Stefan Zweig
  • Squeezed out like an old paint-tube. – Lawrence Durrell

Where I live, the summer months bring lots of great activity, but also quite a bit of exhaustion – especially in the Texas heat. Physically, this can lead to great tiredness. Yet even more significant is the spiritual drain that can be a part of this and every season. Such world-weariness engenders reactions akin to my friend’s Face Book post last week: “I hereby renounce my adulthood. I am tired. If anyone wants me, I’ll be in my blanket fort. Coloring.”

Rest

In the face of such exhaustion, Hebrews 4 forms the basis of my regular prayer: that we are each and all deeply comforted by the knowledge that we have the daily opportunity to experience real rest in the Lord. As Isaiah reports in verse 15 of chapter 30, our strength is found in resting in God’s hand.

Comfort…confidence…returning…rest. That is exactly what we need. And God meets that need in His Spirit. He provides genuine rest not to baby us, but rather to empower our pressing on. We rest not only in absence of activity but also in times of great motion. Look at this great summary by Dr. Wiersbe:

Isaiah is the prophet we need to hear today as he cries out God’s message above the din of world upheaval, “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” (40:1 NKJV) The English word “comfort” comes from two Latin words that together mean “with strength.” When Isaiah says to us, “Be comforted!” it is not a word of pity but of power. God’s comfort does not weaken us; it strengthens us. God is not indulging us but empowering us. “In quietness and comfort shall be your strength.” – Warren Wiersbe, Be Comforted

 
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