Resurrection Hope
Living with Hope
Isaiah 59:9-19
The Message
9-11 Which means that we’re a far cry from fair dealing,
and we’re not even close to right living.
We long for light but sink into darkness,
long for brightness but stumble through the night.
Like the blind, we inch along a wall,
groping eyeless in the dark.
We shuffle our way in broad daylight,
like the dead, but somehow walking.
We’re no better off than bears, groaning,
and no worse off than doves, moaning.
We look for justice—not a sign of it;
for salvation—not so much as a hint.
and we’re not even close to right living.
We long for light but sink into darkness,
long for brightness but stumble through the night.
Like the blind, we inch along a wall,
groping eyeless in the dark.
We shuffle our way in broad daylight,
like the dead, but somehow walking.
We’re no better off than bears, groaning,
and no worse off than doves, moaning.
We look for justice—not a sign of it;
for salvation—not so much as a hint.
12-15 Our wrongdoings pile up before you, God,
our sins stand up and accuse us.
Our wrongdoings stare us down;
we know in detail what we’ve done:
Mocking and denying God,
not following our God,
Spreading false rumors, inciting sedition,
pregnant with lies, muttering malice.
Justice is beaten back,
Righteousness is banished to the sidelines,
Truth staggers down the street,
Honesty is nowhere to be found,
Good is missing in action.
Anyone renouncing evil is beaten and robbed.
our sins stand up and accuse us.
Our wrongdoings stare us down;
we know in detail what we’ve done:
Mocking and denying God,
not following our God,
Spreading false rumors, inciting sedition,
pregnant with lies, muttering malice.
Justice is beaten back,
Righteousness is banished to the sidelines,
Truth staggers down the street,
Honesty is nowhere to be found,
Good is missing in action.
Anyone renouncing evil is beaten and robbed.
15-19 God looked and saw evil looming on the horizon—
so much evil and no sign of Justice.
He couldn’t believe what he saw:
not a soul around to correct this awful situation.
So he did it himself, took on the work of Salvation,
fueled by his own Righteousness.
He dressed in Righteousness, put it on like a suit of armor,
with Salvation on his head like a helmet,
Put on Judgment like an overcoat,
and threw a cloak of Passion across his shoulders.
He’ll make everyone pay for what they’ve done:
fury for his foes, just deserts for his enemies.
Even the far-off islands will get paid off in full.
In the west they’ll fear the name of God,
in the east they’ll fear the glory of God,
For he’ll arrive like a river in flood stage,
whipped to a torrent by the wind of God.
so much evil and no sign of Justice.
He couldn’t believe what he saw:
not a soul around to correct this awful situation.
So he did it himself, took on the work of Salvation,
fueled by his own Righteousness.
He dressed in Righteousness, put it on like a suit of armor,
with Salvation on his head like a helmet,
Put on Judgment like an overcoat,
and threw a cloak of Passion across his shoulders.
He’ll make everyone pay for what they’ve done:
fury for his foes, just deserts for his enemies.
Even the far-off islands will get paid off in full.
In the west they’ll fear the name of God,
in the east they’ll fear the glory of God,
For he’ll arrive like a river in flood stage,
whipped to a torrent by the wind of God.
For Reflection
Verses
nine to fifteen just about sum up how I feel this week. Gloom and
Doom, Agony and Despair are lurking in every corner. It is difficult to
sustain hope in face of ever-present media postings of shootings, vile
acts of violence, abuse of the dominant rule over the suffering publics,
greed and selfishness at the expense of all others, wars and police
action rationalized in religious fervor. When will it end? Is the human
condition hopeless?
God looks and sees evil and injustice. What has God done?
God has sacrificed his son so that we might know the way out. God has given Jesus as our advocate. God has sent the Holy Spirit to guide us in our calling to be obedient citizens and His agents of change. Can we change it all? Not all and perhaps not in our life times, but, in God's time His Kingdom will come to pass.
So what are we, the faithful, waiting for? God has raised Christ as proof of his everlasting desire that we, also, should be raised into his service. Pray as you have never prayed before. Study the scriptures and expect to see the works of the Living God. Become aware of God's presence. Let the grace of God work through you. Participate fully in the fellowship of the believers. Be ready to sacrifice yourself to the counter culture that is God.
God looks and sees evil and injustice. What has God done?
God has sacrificed his son so that we might know the way out. God has given Jesus as our advocate. God has sent the Holy Spirit to guide us in our calling to be obedient citizens and His agents of change. Can we change it all? Not all and perhaps not in our life times, but, in God's time His Kingdom will come to pass.
So what are we, the faithful, waiting for? God has raised Christ as proof of his everlasting desire that we, also, should be raised into his service. Pray as you have never prayed before. Study the scriptures and expect to see the works of the Living God. Become aware of God's presence. Let the grace of God work through you. Participate fully in the fellowship of the believers. Be ready to sacrifice yourself to the counter culture that is God.
Pray
that
you will never lose hope. Pray that you will be used in the
fulfillment of God's mission for you. Pray that you will look for
God's work and see his hand in all things good. Pray that you will be eternally hopeful.
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