“Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her. … As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes. Isaiah 66:10, 13-14 Moms just seem to have a special power, don’t they? There’s something about a mother’s touch, a mother’s comfort that no one else can replicate. The relationship between a mother and a child is about as close as we can come to describing the love that God has for us. It’s no surprise, then, that God uses the picture of mother and child to describe his relationship with us. Jerusalem had been beaten and battered from all sides. She had suffered greatly because she had rejected God. She abandoned his promises. She threw away his Word. But God would not abandon his people. After a time of trouble, after years of standing in ruins, emptied of her people, God restored Jerusalem. He brought the people back. He brought joy and comfort like only a mother can give. There are plenty of things in this world that cause us pain. Unfortunately, some of that pain is self-inflicted. We’re like the people of Jerusalem when we abandon God’s promises and throw away his Word. Yet God has not abandoned us. He invites us again and again to return to him. Each time we run away from him by sinning against his perfect will, he calls us back. He offers the sweet forgiveness for all of our sins because of Jesus. Each time we stand before our God and admit our sins, he wraps his arms around us and comforts us even more than a hug from our mom ever could. He says to you and to me, “I love you and I forgive you for Jesus’ sake.” Those comforting words motivate us to reflect God’s love by doing what he asks us to do. Those comforting words cause rejoicing to burst forth in heaven and on earth! Prayer: Forgiving God, let the comfort of your love wash over me. Embrace me with your forgiveness so that I may serve you in joy. Amen.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 13:30:09 +0000
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