As I was reading in Isaiah the other day, a passage jumped out at me:
"I was enraged by his sinful greed; I punished him, and hid my face in anger, yet he kept on in his willful ways. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him, creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel." ~ Isaiah 57: 17-18
In the beginning of the chapter, God is talking about all the ways the people of Judah have gone against Him with lying, lusting, worshipping false idols etc.
He asks them, "Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have been false to me, and have neither remembered me nor pondered this in your hearts? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me?...When you cry out for help, let your collection of false idols save you!"
Talk about a dig. Yet, despite God's anger and hurt from being ignored by His people,
He goes on to say, "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite."
God chooses to walk with the people who are humble and lowly and weak in spirit; He values the ordinary, simple, and modest. God wants to strengthen us, to heal us, and to comfort us when we are lowly and weak. He is hurt when we sin against Him, and when we ignore His will and instruction for our life. But that doesn't make Him love us any less; our disobedience doesn't erase His grace and compassion.
"I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him...And I will heal them."
God wants to heal us. He wants to help us. He wants to hold us up and give us strength. And He wants to comfort us, and show us where to go. He doesn't care about our mistakes.
Even when we walk away from Him, He waits for us. He has seen our sin, and our past, and He loves us anyway. All we have to do is draw near to Him, and He will draw near to us (James 4:8).
"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear." (Isaiah 59:1)
God hears your prayers, your cries, your praise. He's reaching out His arm to save you. And He will do it:
"The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it." ~1 Thessalonians 5:24
He will do it. <3
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