17 The Lord your redeemer,
the holy one of Israel, proclaims:
I am the Lord your God
who teaches you for your own good,
who leads you in the way you should go.
18 If you would pay attention to my commands,
your well-being would be like a river,
and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
Reflection
My study Bible calls this section of Isaiah from chapters 40-66, “The Book of Comfort.” You can feel that coming through these words that God is speaking to God’s people. The exiles of Israel in Babylonian captivity needed encouragement, they needed hope. They longed for the
restoration of God’s kingdom Israel and to be able to return to Israel again. But the people had to be reminded of God’s plan for their lives, to follow God’s teachings and to learn to trust in God’s guidance again.
In these verses, God reminds us that God is always with us, ready to redeem us. Because God loves us and has compassion for us, God has given us a path to follow, one of loving God and loving others. God wants us to trust in God’s wisdom, and not our own understanding. When we follow that path, we can find wholeness and God’s blessing. It isn’t an easy path, it has peaks and valleys, but it is a path of transformation. By following what God calls us to do, we are transformed by God’s Spirit so that we can be the means of transforming love in the world. God has given each of us God’s Spirit so that we have unlimited potential to grow to become
more like Jesus. Then we will experience peace like a river and and live a life blessed with goodness “like the waves on the sea.” But when we stop following God’s plan, we often head out on our own becoming lost, over burdened and discouraged. We miss the opportunity to grow into all God has in store for us. At any moment, we can return to God, confess our need to be in control, and by paying attention to God’s teachings and following the example of Jesus, we can again follow the way we should go.
by Jeneene Reduker
For Pondering and Prayer
It’s easy to get overwhelmed, distracted or discouraged and end up following our own path. When this happens to me I often think of Jesus’ words from Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” We think we can do it all, but in reality we can’t. God knows our struggles but God also knows our unlimited potential in Christ. We can rest and find comfort in God’s plan for us.
Are you trying to do it all on your own and not relying on God? Are you following God’s path for your life or are you following your own path?
Prayer: Holy and Loving God, when we are struggling, and have lost our way. Help us to turn to you, to listen to your teachings and to follow the path that you have for us, and for our well being, because you love us. Amen.
