“For in my wrath I struck you, but in my favor, I have had mercy on you.”
Isaiah 60:10b
Violence will never again be heard of in your land; devastation and destruction will be gone from your borders. But you will name your walls salvation and your gates, praise. The sun will no longer be your light by day, and the brightness of the moon will not shine on you, but the Lord will be your everlasting light and your God will be your splendor. Your sun will no longer set, and your moon will not fade; for the Lord will be your lasting light, and the days of your sorrow will be over. Then all your people will be righteous; they will possess the land forever; they are the branch I planted, the work of My hands, so that I may be glorified. The least will become a thousand the smallest a mighty nation. I am Yahweh; I will accomplish it quickly in its time.
Isaiah 60:18-22
I think one of the hardest parts of being in our financial sunken place is the fact that it was brought on by my sin. I was not a good steward of my resources. I was selfish and impulsive. I still remember the day we overdraft our bank account for the fifth time in just a few weeks. I sat on the floor crying out to God asking “Why is this happening?”
I never would have guessed that He’d lead me to Hebrews 12:7-11 which says “Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline – which all receive – then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had natural fathers discipline us and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but He does ist for our benefit so that we can share in His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
I think it’s easier to play the victim than it is to take responsibility and while every hardship in our lives is not the result of sin (John 9:2-3), God does have a purpose behind everything. Scripture says when we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness which means, we can enjoy fellowship with him but it does not mean we get to bypass our suffering. God knows that in the thick of our suffering is where lessons start to resonate. He knows as we endure hard times our faith becomes perfect and complete (James 1:2-3). He knows that suffering keeps us humble and steadfast at His feet.
So while it’s never His desire to discipline His children, He knows it can produce good fruit. He longs to be gracious to us but He desires to be in fellowship too.
In the passage of scripture highlighted above, God speaks through the prophet Isaiah to give Zion a glimpse of the future they can look toward with joyful expectation.
What is so powerful to me, is that God is not speaking simply of an earthly fulfillment of this promise, this promise is mirrored in how we can expect to live in eternity.
Even if things on Earth never change for us, if we have a relationship with Jesus Christ, we can rejoice in the fact that paradise awaits us in eternity and eventually all our sorrow will end. “Destruction and devastation will be gone” from our borders. Our walls and gates will be filled with praise. We won’t need the light of the sun or the light of the moon because Christ’s glory will illuminate (Revelation 21:23). There will be no night (Revelation 22:5) only day.
This is the hope and future we can look forward to, this is our assurance, our peace. This is what we can meditate on when the problems of this Earth get too heavy.
If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ, now is a great time to invite him in. He loved you so much he laid down his life as a sacrifice for your sins (John 3:16). If you want to accept him as savior.
- Admit that you’re a sinner in need of a savior (Romans 3:23)
- Believe that Jesus is the Savior God sent (John 6:40)
- Confess Jesus as Lord of your life (Romans 10:9)
- Enjoy a relationship with Him.
I know we’re experiencing trials and tribulations but again this is where God grants believers peace.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
How are you maintaining hope in this season? Comment below and let me know!
Photo Credit: Angela Flournoy