Week 11
Isaiah 49:13 “Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion on His afflicted.”
What would cause the heavens and the earth to shout for joy? What would make the mountains break out into joyful singing? Whatever this is, it is truly remarkable to have such an effect on the great creation that God has made.
We have not long to seek the impetus of such great and powerful joy as we peruse the text: “For the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion on His afflicted.”
Some long for a perfect Garden of Eden where the flowers of convenience and ease grow in abundance. There is no struggle, no hardship, and no difficulty there. Everything is beautiful and compliant with the slightest effort.
But there is something even more glorious than living in a perfect garden with the delights of sight and sound all around. This is more glorious: the comfort and compassion of the Lord poured out on His people, especially in times of great burdens and sorrow. Blessed is he who though he walks through the shadow of death, and he knows that His blessed Lord is with him. The deep and dark shadows of the valley are made bright with a joyful light if the Lord is there with him. Sickness, betrayal, hardship, disappointment, and heavy burdens are all made more tolerable because of the Lord’s presence and care.
And still, there is more. Not only are these obstacles made tolerable through the Lord’s presence and provision, but we also come to intimately better and more fully know the Lord in a rich and deep fashion during such times of heaviness and struggle. And when we reflect on those times, we come to bless the piercing and stinging pain of those days because they bring us near to our Lord; they bring our Lord’s compassion and grace to us.
There is no Christian in heaven complaining about how hard they had it on earth. They do not sit in circles sharing and comparing notes with each other, seeking to identify who has had the more difficult journey. This is blasphemous even to contemplate. Heaven is full of God’s praises! God’s people in heaven rise up and shout with joy because of their painful journeys that taught them the Lord’s mercy and providential wisdom. It was because they had such problems that they learned of their weakness and of the Lord’s strength provided for them in such an abundant way. They have been in the Lord’s school of trial and tribulation, and they have learned well to trust Him when all others abandon them. When no one is dependable and all are liars, we always find the Lord to be trustworthy, true, and dependable, and we rejoice!
When the heart soars with joy in the valley of the shadow of trouble, it seems that the mountains begin to melodiously and harmoniously sing with praise to the God who watches over His people. No one ever leans hard on the Lord and finds Him insufficient and inadequate for the day. His grace is not strained by our sickness, depression, and tribulation. We join with the mountains in singing praises to God for His comfort and compassion.
Prayer: Dear Lord, please grant to me this day a heart full of praise to You for Your daily provision and care. I have found You faithful and true, and I will rest patiently and prayerfully in Your care for every need for tomorrow.