Incredible Love

One of the lectionary readings for this week was Isaiah 40:21-31. It's a beautiful passage which begins with a reminder to remember God, a lament concerning the idea that God has forgotten us, more reminders of who God is, and then this, which is probably one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible:

but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Verse 31

Think about this passage for a minute. God knows and we know that we will face challenges in life. Jack, today in his sermon, talked about how when everything is going well in our lives, we tend to forget the presence of God in our lives. When everything seems to be going poorly, we tend to think that God is no where to be found.

But read this passage. I was struck today in worship with the idea of what a wonderful God we have. He knows that we will face exile, challenges to our lives, suffering and pain. What is his response? If we will remember God, he will come into our lives and give us strength and power so that we can survive whatever life throws at us.

What kind of wonderful love is this? The God of the universe, who knows us better than we know ourselves, is willing to strengthen us to face whatever comes our way. What kind of love is this? Our God continues to remind us of who we are and whose we are and who he is. He doesn't leave us alone, even when we forget about him, and even when we assume that he is not in our lives.

This incredible love means that he never leaves us along, never deserts us.

An incredible love...