“It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”” Isaiah 25:9 ESV
Reflection: what are you longing for?
Much of the central to eastern USA recently experienced an extreme winter storm. Temperatures reaching to record lows in many areas, followed by significant snowfall. It was even called “the storm of a century” by many. In such extreme weather, just doing the basic things outside is very difficult, and even dangerous. Thankfully, most people got through the storm ok, staying warm inside their homes. But such extreme cold weather makes us long for signs of spring, and the summer to follow. To feel the warmth of the sun again. And just like the passing of storms and seasons, we go through seasons of life that might be difficult. And we long for something better. But, longing for what, exactly?
Isaiah had a vision of the completion, the fulfillment of God’s “plans formed of old”, which he wrote down in chapter 25. Let’s read it. “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 25:6-8 ESV. Some of this imagery we might be familiar with from other books of the Bible, like the gospels and Revelation. Isaiah saw a glorious feast, a banquet, with the best foods and wine. He saw that death was no more, no tears, no sadness, no shame. And, he saw that the people were completely satisfied,
“It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”” Isaiah 25:9 ESV. Notice that the people recognized that this was exactly what they had been waiting for. They knew in that day that all their longing, all their hopes and dreams were fulfilled. So they could with their whole hearts rejoice and say “This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”” Isaiah 25:9b ESV
We are happy when a storm is over, when we feel the sun and see the start of spring. We are happy when a difficult season of life is over. We are happy when we get a promotion and can move into a bigger house, or replace a broken down car with a new one. Or when we can get together with family and friends for a celebration, or even a vacation. But, if you really stop and think about it for a moment, do any of these things bring any lasting joy? While these might all feel very good for a while, we realize that they are all just temporary joys. Even the best joys we experience in life all come to an end, as this life itself comes to an end. Take a few minutes to reflect for yourself on the following,
What is it that you truly are longing for?
While this life can bring many joyful experiences, our deepest longing is really for something much bigger and more permanent than anything this life can ever offer. Something everlasting. A joy and peace everlasting. Therefore, we place all our trust, all our hope for salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the almighty God of our salvation.
