“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low;’” (Isaiah 40:1-4a)
What a great passage to read for this Advent. These wonderful words call out to every person in our world. So many people are in fear from violence, warfare, and terrorism. Many others are confused about their identity, about who and what they are. So many seek answers to life questions in all the wrong places and suffer the consequences, many even taking their own lives or the lives of others. If they only knew the comfort of the Lord, their fears, doubts, and concerns would be resolved. They would be at peace.
These words of the prophet Isaiah celebrate the coming of our King, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These words assure us that, despite the chaos around us, God loves us. He is in control of all things. Isaiah wrote this for the Jews who would go into exile 100 years later. He wanted to comfort them amid their afflictions and pain, to let them know that their trials were only temporary. Eternal deliverance was a sure and certain event that would come when the Messiah appeared. This is certain because the Lord God is almighty, the one who created all things and sustains them by His word. No nation, no person, no disaster or pandemic can stand in His way for He controls the ebb and flow of history.
We the church are called to bring this good news to all. The Lord cares for everyone who places their faith in Him. He is a mighty warrior but also a tender shepherd who lovingly cares for each lowly member of His flock. In these days of political turmoil and violence we might tend to forget that God is love. Many people think that, based on what they experience or see with their eyes, God is powerless, unfeeling, or even cruel. The words of Isaiah assure us that He is not. The promises of God are true and sure. They bring comfort to those in affliction and despair. You can just feel the comfort and peace flooding your being as you read these marvelous words. That is the peace and love of the Holy Spirit that fills you and testifies to the reality of the good news of peace and salvation in Jesus Christ. We cannot keep that good news to ourselves for we, the church, are called to be the herald of God’s peace to all.