April 4, 2023

Isaiah 40: 1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. (NIV)

Broken lives break the heart of God.*

God loves us. He loves us because he is love and because it’s the right thing to do. But his love for us goes beyond duty. He could be brisk and businesslike in his treatment of us and still fulfill his loving obligations, but he speaks tenderly as he opens up his heart to us. He feels us.

In this passage, God offers double comfort to Jerusalem, but the message continues (in verse 5) with words of hope for all generations: “And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it.” As God’s spokespersons, our interactions with the lost should be more than just dutifully sharing the gospel. The good news consists of facts and information, but at the heart of it is the heart of God.

Effective witnessing requires knowledge of the gospel but more important is knowledge of the Savior. Do you know him - or do you have a relationship with him? Is your heart touched by what touches his? Are you prepared for the risk of caring that much?

If we don’t care, how will we convince them that God cares?

God’s comfort is not a hollow, positive-thinking, “There’s-a-silver-lining-behind-every-cloud” kind of message. God always gives His people reasons for comfort.*