Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Wednesday prior to Epiphany 5


Isaiah 40:21–31—This is part of a larger section in which the Lord directs Isaiah to Comfort, comfort My people (Isa 40:1) with the good news of forgiveness of sins. This portion tells us that nothing can stand in the way of the Lord and His plan of salvation. He brings those who would oppose Him to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. There can be no doubt that He will accomplish that which He promises, for the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary. When our human frailness would cause us to despair, we take comfort that He gives power to the faint and that they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength.

The prophet calls us to “wait” for God in the midst of this world where we can feel so lost. But that doesn’t mean what we normally think of “waiting.” This is a kind of waiting that is defined by the confidence that God is with us, constantly surrounding us with God’s life and love. It is a kind of waiting that is supported by the confidence that God is powerful enough to make things right—if not now, then ultimately. It is a kind of waiting that is shaped by the faith that this incredibly powerful God who holds the vastness of the cosmos in the palm of his hand is also the one who individually carries each of the lambs in his arms.  1

We pray – For marriage and family, that husbands and wives, parents and children lives in ordered harmony according to the Word of God; for parents who must raise children alone; for our communities and neighborhoods.

O Lord our God, creator of all that exists, we thank You for the joy of new life and for the privilege bestowed upon us of being participants with You in the ongoing stream of life. Grant that these blessings may be continued to our children and our children’s children, that all generations may praise Your holy name; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  2

Sources:
1. http://thewakingdreamer.blogspot.com/2012/02/never-lost-isa.html
2..  Prayers for marriage and family, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis 

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