I’m in the final month of a study in the book of Isaiah that has spanned the last six months. I’ve loved how Isaiah speaks to the people of his day, but the prophecy also speaks to us. Our Redeemer will come! I spent today in chapters 58-59, where Isaiah is commanded to proclaim to God’s people their sin (58:1). The people seek God, yet it appears that God takes no notice (2a). Isaiah declares God is not answering their fasting and humbling before Him (3a) because they seek Him “as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God” (2b).
Doesn’t that ring with the sound of modern-day cries? Spiritual actions driven by self, seeking pleasure and the oppression of enemies’ (3-4) and then crying because God fails to deliver as we desired. Many approach faith solely to meet felt needs, and God rejects such selfish, false piety. Isaiah explains that God accepts the fast that “loose the bonds of wickedness, undo the straps of the yoke, let the oppressed go free, break every yoke” is the fast that God blesses (6). God looks for the one looking beyond himself, with eyes on social justice that springs from a heart that believes that God’s justice has been satisfied in Christ (8-9a).
But sin has separated God’s people from Him (59:2); therefore, justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us. We hope for light and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom (59:9). We grope … we stumble … we growl … we moan … we hope for justice, but there is none. Salvation is far from us (59:10-11).
Hoping for light
It has been over a year of hoping for light and brightness, yet we continue to stumble, grope, growl and moan. There is no justice. No salvation. Why?
God lists the sins that have separated Him from his people: denying the Lord, turning back from following God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lies (12-13). Justice, righteousness, truth, uprightness are blocked. There is no standard of truth. He who departs from evil makes himself prey (12-15).
Whoa – Isaiah penned this thousands of years ago, yet it describes today very well. Article headlines seem to be filled with people denying God and declaring their faith in objects unable to deliver hope. Oppression and revolts are frequent. It’s getting harder and harder to discern between truthful reports and lies. Those fighting for justice, righteousness, truth, and unrighteousness are blocked. He who separates from the evil of the day makes himself prey.
It feels like the attacks are coming from all directions, inside the church and outside the church. But God sees (14b), and it displeases him that there is no one to intercede, so God intercedes. Only God can redeem a people this far gone. “His own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him (16). He will come like a rushing stream which the wind of the Lord drives (19).
I love that description! A rushing stream which the wind of the Lord drives. It illustrates the power of God that prompts the proper response of awe and fear. Our Redeemer will come! He comes to those in Jacob who turn from transgression (20). This is God’s covenant with them:
“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.”
Isaiah 59:21
Our Redeemer will Come
I’m still working through what all this meant to the people back then and how we can apply the universal truths to us now. But as I work through all that, I am encouraged to see that the battles we face today are not new. As we repent of seeking the Lord for selfish gain and humbly return to seeking His face to do His will, as we separate ourselves from evil and understand it paints a target on our back, we put all our hope in God because only God can redeem a people this far gone.
He saw back then. He sees right now. He said the redeemer “will come,” and He did. He came in the person of Jesus Christ (bolded emphasis mine):
1 Corinthians 1:30, “But it is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written: “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters.”
Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace.”
1 Peter 1:18-21, “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
John 14:1-3 (Jesus speaking), “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Our Redeemer came, and our Redeemer lives. Our Redeemer is coming again.
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
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Have you heard of the wonderful organization called Flowers for the Pastor’s Wife? They seek to encourage, equip, and connect small-town and rural ministry wives in their unique calling. Maybe you’re not a small-town pastor’s wife, but if you know one – please forward them this ministry link.
My husband and I spent our early ministry years serving God in a tiny village. I learned so much about ministry, myself, and the Lord during those years. Since then, we’ve served God in other contexts. My husband was an associate pastor and now is a lead pastor in a large (ish) church. After more than 20 years in ministry, I have to admit that there is something uniquely special and uniquely challenging about small-town ministry. Flowers for the Pastor’s Wife speaks to those needs.
It’s my privilege to write the occasional article for them. My most recent is available now and is called Whatever it Takes. **Due to the personal nature of some of the blog posts, the blog portion of their website is limited to pastors’ wives who have registered with them. Registering is super easy, and the content and community are worth it.
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Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).
I have returned to this verse several times over the past year out of great need. They are words of hope for a weary soul.
Jesus said these words to his disciples while his cross waited around the next corner. He was also preparing his disciples for his soon departure and for the unknown difficulties that waited for them around their next corner.
Jesus knew that his followers most needed peace in their hearts despite their many troubles. He also knows that’s what you and I need.
I’m writing to you today because, despite our many troubles, I long for you to have that peace from Jesus, too.
What in the World Is Going On?
A few weeks back, I sat on my couch and watched footage of the protests, riots, and insurrection in Washington, D.C., and wept. The civil unrest, political pettiness, and self-righteous violence are a burden that is too heavy to bear.
Then, we all heard the news of our imminent return to Square One in our fight against a year-long pandemic, the burden grew heavier still.
As I digested the announcement of the stay-at-home order, it hit me like a fresh wave that there are some people in our church family I haven’t seen in person for almost a full year. Some who I haven’t seen at all. There is no judgement in that statement; if anything, there’s much grace. It’s simply an observation that (speaking transparently) breaks my heart and makes me sad.
Life is hard these days for everyone. Perhaps it’s helpful for you to know that it’s hard for pastors, too. I see the weariness every week in our staff and our elders who are trying their best to shepherd and lead when we can’t even be in the same room as you. Most people don’t see how they walk with a limp because they’ve listened to another opinion or complaint about the pandemic that was spoken with more political zeal than Christian love. Not to mention the embarrassing in-fighting and name-calling among Christians across the wider Church.
As Jesus would say, my heart has been troubled. A lot. At times, my heart has even been afraid. Afraid not only of our future but also of the growing instability of our present.
Thankfully, Jesus had more to say.
Real Peace
What strikes me most about Jesus’ statement in John 14:27 is that his greatest concern—knowing his horrific death was literally only hours away—was that the people he loved would have peace.
Not just any peace. Real peace. His peace. The kind of lasting and perfect peace that you and I crave.
Jesus says that it’s not a peace the world can give to you. Pay close attention to that. The end of a pandemic will not give you peace. A vaccine will not give you peace. Being released from a lockdown will not give you peace. A politician of any persuasion will not give you peace. Winning a debate will not give you peace. The latest report or theory will not give you peace. And maybe most importantly, being “right” will not give you peace.
Jesus gives peace.
We need to hear this again during these days because we often worry and fear and think and speak like peace depends on us, not on Jesus. Even still, in all the unhinged craziness of our world—knowing that, maybe, your heart has been troubled and afraid like few other times in your life—he wants you to have his peace.
Jesus’ peace is unshakeable, unflappable, immoveable. He is the author of peace, and he wants to give you his peace.
He wants you to know his peace.
He wants your heart to be softened and your life to be changed by his peace even when the cracks in this broken world grow wider and deeper.
He wants his peace to reign in our hearts. What a loving Saviour.
A Word of Encouragement
Loved ones, my heart longs for you to have this peace. But implied in Jesus’ statement is that to have this peace, we must take our eyes off a world that guarantees nothing and fix our gaze on him. The only remedy for a heart troubled by this world is for this benevolent, compassionate, peace-providing Jesus to be worth more to you than anything this troubling world can offer.
This pandemic and all its adjoining unrest have rightly awakened in us a longing for a new world, a better world where the Ultimate Peace-Giver will wipe away every tear from our eyes, a world where death will be no more, a world noticeably absent of mourning or crying or pain or viruses or pandemics or protests or riots or pettiness or in-fighting or isolation or loneliness or distancing because all the former things have passed away and he has finally made everything new (Revelation 21:4).
Friends, let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Jesus stands ready to calm your fear and steady your troubled heart.
Are you searching for peace? One lucky commenter will receive a FREE PDF of Kevin’s book, Anxiety Attack. The winner will be randomly drawn on March 11, 2021. To enter, leave a comment and share what Scripture verse or verses have most encouraged you during this time.
There is an epidemic plaguing our culture. Sadly, Christians are not immune to it. In fact, as followers of Christ, we may be more susceptible to the outbreak than we realize. And if we’re not careful, it can incapacitate us before we even understand what’s happening.
Some of you might remember my friend, Erin. I dedicated Mistletoe Movie Star to her, and she inspired the main character, Char. Erin is passionate about compassion ministry, and that did not stop when Char’s story ended. Erin is still raising awareness for those in our community who need our help. She wrote the post below.
It’s cold out there.
Frigid. Almost unbearable. Last night at the centre where I work, I was once again reminded of the severity of homelessness in our community. Two old friends from “Welcome Love” (our former tent city) came by. Their circumstances are complicated and sad. For various reasons that most of us could never comprehend, they “choose” to sleep in the rough. To them, it is the only option. Last night, they came by Why Not Youth Centre with frostbitten faces and ash-covered hands. They were invited in for a moment of reprieve from the harsh reality of their everyday lives. They experienced a moment of warmth, food, acceptance and kindness.
Last year, the issue of homelessness in our community was front and centre. All over social media, in the news, in the papers, top of the to-do list for council, “tent lit on fire!”…you could not ignore it. Many good things came out of those days, but last night I was reminded that just because we cannot SEE tent city does not mean that those beautiful God-created people are not still out there living in tents when it is -15 outside.
IN. A. TENT.
Hunger, a lack of viable resources, and safe, affordable housing are a daily battle for many of our youth and those experiencing homelessness in our city. It is literally a moment-to-moment game of survival. Last night, God freshly reminded me that there is still much work to be done. We hope and pray our youth will never experience this as their “normal.” We have some amazing supports in our community; Why NotYouth Centre is one of those places, but there are some massive gaps in services to the marginalized.
I see these gaps every time we advocate for youth or try to connect those deemed “hard to serve” with supports that could change the direction of their current life course. This is not a new problem. Still, we press on, show up and advocate for change because, despite the dire circumstances, we SEE God at work and these lives matter. When I said goodbye to our visitors last night, I truly wondered if they would survive the night. I prayed for them. I wept at our broken world. Then I decided to do something about it.
Be part of the solution
On February 20, together with thousands of Canadians across the country, I am walking and fundraising to support and serve people and families experiencing homelessness, hurt, and hunger in our community. Why Not Youth Centres is supported solely by generous community supporters and initiatives like this. We need support to keep our doors open. I have named the team the “WayMaker Walkers” because only God can fix this problem. I am praying He uses our team to affect change in our community in practical ways. Would you join me? Walk with me & pray with me as we call out to the LORD to do what only He can! If you cannot participate in the walk, you can still pray at home and donate to our team!
With a new year upon us it can be a a good idea to find your “word of the year.” For 2021, my word is “yet.”
I was reminded last year to focus on what we have and not on what we’ve lost. It was a hard year for so many. Today, with the sinful world continuing to exhibit its need for a savior we should always contemplate the incredible gift of Jesus and the salvation He has brought to us. If you will indulge me, I’d like to do a little Bible word study with you.
I began looking at the word “yet” in Scripture (used about 400 times) and found it to be apropos to our discussion. (Too bad it wouldn’t work in a book title because one would think I was writing about Bigfoot [Yeti].)
Look at the following passages for a moment (emphasis mine).
Lamentations 3:20-22 (NLT) “I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.”
Matthew 7:24-25 (NIV) “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NIV) “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”
Psalm 42:11 (KJV) Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
2 Corinthians 4:16 (NASB) “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day.”
In every sense Jesus is our “yet.” Everything before Him pales when compared to the after.
John 1: 11-12 (NIV) “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
John 11:25 (KJV) “Jesus said unto her, ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.’”
He is our hope. He is our sustenance. He is our redeemer. He is the reason for all we do.
If all seems overwhelming… If all seems impossible…. Remember, God is not finished….yet.
He is our “Yet.”
Soli Deo Gloria.
This post first appeared on the Steve Laube Agency blog on January 11, 2021. Used with permission.
