A CARING LORD

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

He said, “Surely they are My people, children who will be true to Me”; and so He became their Savior.

In all their distress He too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In His love and mercy He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

Isaiah 63:8-9

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Life can be rough on us some times and leave us in circumstances where we feel alone, isolated, and abandoned. In worst case scenarios, we might be left wondering whether anyone cares about what we are going through.

Maybe you’ve been there before. Maybe you’re there now. And maybe there is a day ahead when you might be.

In any of these occurrences, today’s scripture verses from Isaiah 63 carry with them a message of encouragement for as we will see, we serve a caring Lord. Look again at these words:

He said, “Surely they are My people, children who will be true to Me”; and so He became their Savior.

In all their distress He too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In His love and mercy He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Isaiah 63:8-9

Understanding the text in the time that God spoke His words, “My people”, the “children” of God, were none other than the Israelites. And God had indeed been their Savior on more than one occasion.

First, consider the captivity and oppression of the Israelites in Egypt under Pharaoh’s rule. It was a harsh time for God’s people, one that brought them a great deal of distress. But note that God was just as distressed over their situation and circumstances, so much so that He redeemed them, lifting them up and carrying them out of Pharaoh’s clutches out of His deep love and mercy for His people.

And in doing so, He became the Savior of the Israelite people.

Fast forward to the captivity at the hands of the Babylonians. If you’ve been a faithful reader of the blogs from Isaiah, you know the story. The people of Israel chose to worship false gods and idols, angering God and bringing His judgment in the way of a seventy year exile in Babylon. Judah and Jerusalem were attacked and laid to waste. All the people were taken away to a foreign land where they would be oppressed for seventy years.

But at the end of their penalty time served, God redeemed the Israelites from their distress out of His deep love and mercy, once again becoming their Savior. You’ll recall, He sent the Persians to overthrow the Babylonians and then King Cyrus of Persia was used by God to secure the release of His people so they could return to Israel and rebuild their lives and faith.

Today, we still see God at work in our lives, rescuing and redeeming us from the distresses life brings upon us, lifting us up and carrying us beyond our hardships. And because of His deep love and mercy for us, He gave up His one and only Son Jesus to save us from the death penalty of our sins, Jesus paying that penalty for us on Calvary’s cross. Since His death and resurrection, Jesus has been the only One through which we can be saved, the only One who can get us to life eternal with Him and God the Father.

Yes, whether in Old Testament days or here in the 21st century, we see God for who He is: a loving, caring Lord who redeems us and saves us from our distresses out of His deep mercy and love.

Without Him, we are helpless, bound to our sins, and without hope.

With Him, we are hopeful forever, freed from sin’s bondage, and in a place where we can do all things through His strength, now and forever.

Let’s praise God today for His goodness and protection, His deliverance and salvation, and His compassion and devotion toward His people.

For time and time again He’s shown that He’s a caring Lord.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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