Today’s scripture: Isaiah 54:1-17 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Ciemone Easter-Rose):
I’ve been known to be somewhat of a perfectionist at times. What is important to know about that is that it doesn’t mean that I never make mistakes. Like every human being, I am quite fallible, whether I’d like to admit it or not. For me, being a perfectionist just means that, when I do make mistakes, I can hardly tolerate it. It’s like I experience an emotional upheaval, full of guilt and shame and anger, all woven together into a messy, tangled web. Going along with that struggle is the difficulty that I also often face in receiving criticism from others. It seems that when others point out my mistakes, whether they are being constructive or not, what tends to happen is that my own inner criticisms just become more amplified. It is almost as if I don’t really need someone else to tell me I messed up, because when I make a mistake it is already so glaringly obvious and painful to me that for someone else to point it out is just like rubbing salt in a wound.
While usually problematic, this mindset also serves to fuel another dangerous notion that I sometimes have. This tends to occur when things seem to be going particularly bad — or, worse yet, when they seem to finally be going well after having been horrendously bad for a while, but then something else happens that seems to negate whatever positive gains there may have been recently. That is when my thoughts start to evolve from “I am such a failure” to grander notions such as “people are out to get me” or “the world is against me.” Now, depending on the context, this could be read as delusional. But I am actually bringing this up today in response to Isaiah 54, the last verse of which is probably familiar to many:
“No weapon forged against you will prevail” (v. 17).
In the darkest of days, in the foulest of moods, if only I could remember these words! Whether the “weapon” is representative of my own self-defeating thoughts, or even if there truly are forces (or people) in the world who seek to bring me down, the entirety of this passage speaks a rather clear message to us all from God: These forces cannot win. Ever.
No matter how distressing life may be at times, even if you’re feeling attacked or targeted in some way — and even if you’re feeling alone and isolated as this happens — God’s promise is that you will never be lost. As verse 7 states, “For a brief moment, I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.” If God is for you, then who (or what) can be against you?
Thought for the Day: According to Isaiah 54, God’s promises include: rebuilding, deep compassion, redemption, unfailing love, and everlasting compassion. Now that is what I’d call a winning combination.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.