Comfort My People

“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God. “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the LORD has punished her twice over for all her sins.” (Isaiah 40:1-2 NLT)

Have you spent much time studying the book of Isaiah? I have read it a number of times but not really studied it until recently. God’s fingerprints are all over the book of Isaiah. There are many verses that are powerful and full of comfort and praise.  Isaiah has prophecies on the Messiah which Jesus fulfilled. Isaiah even talks about Satan and how his beauty and pride led him to sin against his maker.

The first 39 chapters include judgments on Judah and other nations.  It is mostly about Assyria and how they went to war against the ten northern tribes (Israel) and won. In chapters 36 and 37 they tried to go after Judah but did not succeed.  An angel destroys 185,000 of Sennacherib’s soldiers and he returns home only to be killed by two of his sons. God protected Judah to protect the line of the Messiah.

Our verses today are about the comfort that God will bring to the people when they return from the Babylon captivity. At the time these verses were written, Babylon was not a treat. Assyria was the threat and they never captured Judah. Our all-powerful God knows the beginning from the end and knew that Babylon would be the next superpower and would be allowed to capture Judah, but they would return after 70 years. God gave Isaiah this information to give the people courage when they went into captivity that they would return. It would bring them comfort.

These verses bring us comfort today as well. God will forgive our sins. We know that Jesus is returning soon. The sad days will be replaced with eternal life with our God and Savior. He will wipe away our tears. There will be no more pain and suffering. PTL!

Do you know someone who is discouraged and suffering in this world? Comfort them. Let them know that God loves them so much and understands their pain. He will put an end to the suffering. Just hang in there, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Jesus is returning soon.

Here are a few promises that you can share:

Psalm 27:12 – The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

 Isaiah 41:10 – Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

 Matthew 10:29-31 – Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

 Matthew 6:25-34 – Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

 Revelation 21:4 NIV ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

We look forward with hope for the day when Jesus returns, and all sin and suffering are no longer.

–Diane (blog.peacebewithu.com)