Text: Isaiah 33:1-24, Isaiah 34:1-17, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 12:28-29
I can hardly read the headlines without my heart feeling like it will fall out of my chest.
A local family is torn asunder by an abuser in their midst. Someone in the city has acted on their perverted sense of justice and gone on a violent rampage. Systemic evil is evident everywhere—in the courts, on the streets, in the schools, at the market. Idolatrous liaisons with demons incite entire people groups and nations to war with each other, stealing resources, asserting their superiority, and annihilating fellow divine-image bearers. Painful truth bursts out of the darkness and into the light, breaking hearts and dissolving trust. Destroyers, traitors, and betrayers swarm like locusts.
How much more of this heart-wrenching, stomach-turning news can we take? And this is only the news we are aware of in our limited perspectives.
Our world today is not unlike Isaiah’s. We are not unlike the sinners against whom the prophet declared God’s judgment. And so we echo Isaiah’s cry for mercy:
O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you.
– Isaiah 33:2
Our waiting is not in vain. Centuries pass through the annals of time, but God remembers every moment. Millions upon millions of people have walked this earth, but God knows every hair on every head. God hears the ground cry out—satiated with the blood of people whom He created in His own image. He will rise up and punish His enemies.
Destroyers, traitors, betrayers, the godless—tremble before the Lord. Hear what He has done, and acknowledge His might. He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. There will be no escape for those who hate the King of kings.
But God offers amnesty to His enemies. His Son came as our Deliverer.
As Isaiah promised, the day of vengeance is coming when the King returns as the judge. His judgment is just and pure; He is not partial. Yet He is full of compassion and slow to anger (Exodus 34:6). His faithful love is evident throughout the Old Testament, generation after generation, and displayed in full in the person and sacrifice of Christ.
Oh, that we would look to the cross and behold our King in His beauty today! Take up your role as an ambassador and plead with your friends, your loved ones, and yes, even those who hate you, to gaze upon Jesus, our Deliverer. “Today draw near. Today give attention. Today hear! For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
This news, too, is overwhelming. But it overwhelms me in a different way. I can almost feel my heart leaping for joy out of my chest! I still wonder how this can really be, this gospel news that seems almost too good to be true. But the Good Shepherd says, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).
Behold the King in His beauty. Tremble before the Lord who is a consuming fire, and worship Him.
Gloria Furman is a wife, mother of four, cross-cultural worker, and writer. In 2008 her family moved to the Middle East to plant Redeemer Church of Dubai, where her husband, Dave, serves as the pastor. Gloria is the author of Glimpses of Grace, Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full, The Pastor’s Wife, and Missional Motherhood.
These Scriptures and the devotion remind me again of the importance of being balanced in reading the Word. God’s righteous wrath is countered by His limitless compassion. His judgment is tempered by justice and mercy. The harshness in Isaiah is balanced by His offer of reconciliation by repentance. He keeps His Word and that is a great comfort. That is our hope in these difficult and last days.
“Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.” Isaiah 33:2
I miscarried our 9 week baby last night after much prayer and weeping. My heart is so broken, but this verse brought comfort I needed when I woke up. He is my strength. “Great is Thy Faithfulness” has been on my heart since yesterday and reminded me of this verse… “Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Great is thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me”. I would so appreciate your prayers!
Praying ❤️
I am praying that the Lord brings you comfort and hope.
thank you
Oh Emily, I’m so sorry! Praying for you right now and I’ll continue to throughout the day!
Praying peace and comfort over you right now. May you feel His arms of love wrapped tightly around you today.
Praying for you Emily!
Lifting you and your family up in prayer. I’m so sorry!
Emily,
May the Lord give great comfort in your loss. We understand and grieve with you. ❤
Emily, praying for you right now. Asking the Lord to continue to bring that bright hope to you in this heartbreaking time.
– Stormye
Oh Emily, I’m so sorry and grieve with you! Will pray for you and your heart.
Emily, I am so sorry for the loss of your baby. I am praying for you! May our Lord Jesus hold you extra close during this time of pain.
Emily, I am so sorry. Praying that the Lord brings you much comfort and strength!
Praying for you, Emily. So so sorry to hear this news.
praying <3
I’m so sorry Emily. Praying for you.
I have been there, and I am praying for you today, Emily.
“Blessings” by Laura Story was one of the songs that spoke greatly to me during that time.
thank you so much. I will look it up!
Oh, Emily….I do pray for you and my heart weeps with you as I just walked this same path with my daughter and son-in-law. Allow yourself time to mourn your loss and give each other grace as you go through this time. Curl up in the comfort of Jesus’ arms and just be held. Lastly, remember the basics of your faith. Do you remember the childhood song from Sunday School, “He’s got the whole world in His Hands”? This brought such comfort to me…”He’s got the Little Bitty Baby in His Arms”. Jesus IS HOLDING YOUR BABY right now! He’s also got “the MAMA AND THE DADDY in His Arms”! Love and prayers to you, sweet Emily.
I am praying for you and your family right this moment. May God give you hope in Him and trust in Him because of His character. I am so very sorry.
Jesus, you are my righteousness. In You alone do I put my trust!
My waiting is NOT in vain! Thank you Jesus. Thank you!!!!!!
http://www.in-due-time.com
Amen!!!
I have the tendency to struggle when I watch the news, just story after story that deal with loss, depraved crimes, heart-breaking incidents that make you feel so impotent. It’s almost as if the news is being used to take away people’s hope… but then I realized, I can allow all that I’m witnessing to motivate me in making some sort of change, in creating something that could bring a little hope to the lives of others. That’s what I’m focusing on now and with that realization, I finally discovered what I wanted to do with my life. I, not only want to create a haven and bring hope to those who need it, but I want to share what God has done in my life and how much our lives change when we finally accept Him. I want to expose Him in His true light and if I get a couple of people who want to choose to follow Him, than I know I was meant to be where I am today.
I do not spend enough time in the Old Testament but I love this passage from Isaiah! Particularly the reminder in 33:5 “…he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness” and again in verse 22 “…the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us”. No matter how hard we try or how much we trust the good work of other people, the only one with the power to save is Jesus Christ. And Jesus does not want to save some – he has come to save us all :)
It was a hard past two days of crying…and trying to catch up in my schoolwork…but I think God is telling me that I don’t have to be perfect. I just have to let go and rest in Him. Even in the hard times! Especially in the hard times. He always has a plan.
Ps I’m so excited to get a SRT Bible!!! They look so pretty!!!