Isaiah 49:8-16a (NRSV)
Read Isaiah 49:8-16a on biblegateway.com
Verse 8Thus says the Lord: In a time of favor I have answered you, on a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages; Verse 9saying to the prisoners, "Come out," to those who are in darkness, "Show yourselves." They shall feed along the ways, on all the bare heights shall be their pasture; Verse 10they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. Verse 11And I will turn all my mountains into a road, and my highways shall be raised up. Verse 12Lo, these shall come from far away, and lo, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene.
Verse 13Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones. Verse 14But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me." Verse 15Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Verse 16See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
Devotion
Ever seen the thermometer read over 125 degrees Fahrenheit? Ever had to wear gloves because of the heat, when you’d burn your hands if you touched exposed metal? During the summer months, that kind of heat is a daily reality in places like Iraq and Kuwait. For soldiers from Minnesota, conditioned to survive blizzards and wind chill, the desert sun of Iraq is brutal.
God’s people in exile saw the same oppressive heat, but they didn’t have bottled water and air conditioners to help them escape. Instead, they had God’s promise of relief, of a time when the heat would not oppress them any more. You can be sure this promise of relief applied to more than just the heat; God promised relief from all the sources of oppression that beat down upon them.
How are you feeling the heat today? How can God’s promise bring you relief?
Prayer
Lord, there are many ways that we still need your promise of restoration and relief from the things that oppress us. Have compassion and guide us, just as you promised your people through Isaiah. Amen.