May 13, 2018 Sunday

“As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass; The hand of the LORD shall be known to His servants, And His indignation to His enemies.” (Isaiah 66:13-14 NKJV)

            Today is Mother’s Day and while for some this is a day of good memories and time to be with their mom’s for many others it can be a hard day.  It can be a day to wonder who and where their mother is.  It can be a day to wonder if their mom even cares.  It can be a day of grieving for the mom who has died.  It can even worse be a mom whom you care not enough to care about!

“As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you;”.  In the Old Testament (of all places!), in the book of Isaiah we are revealed the amazing picture of God comforting us as our Mother!  For many of us the picture of our Moms comfort is of when we are hurt, ill or left out.  The embrace of a mother can bring comfort and even healing.  And even more so the embrace of God!

            Israel (if we are honest we) has been judged and punished and God is now calling us back to His “Motherly” embrace to comfort us and renew the relationship we broke by our sin!  We who deserve anger and discomfort for our foolishness and sin discover only comfort. 

            Have you ever not gone to God because you are concerned about His anger?  Repeat over and over the passage above until you can believe it enough to crawl into God’s embrace and discover comfort!

“And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”  To those in Isaiah’s day this would have meant returning to a city but to us it means we can return to God because Jesus sacrificed Himself for us in Jerusalem!  We have been comforted TO God BY God and Jerusalem is our new place of birth which defines us and says who and Whose we really are!

“When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass”.  “REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE!”  Like a friend of mine used to say “Today I feel like dancin’!”  For God has taken away your prison garb, God has not just paroled but has pardoned you!  You have been given a new birth, a new place of birth, a new life, a new family and an amazing Motherly love!  “And again I say REJOICE!!!”

            Are you too afraid to come to God?  Have you not realized God has come to you?  Are you too proud to admit you need God?  Is it more comfortable to stay in exile than to come “home”?

            When you celebrate Mother’s Day forgive the bad, remember the good and love as you have been loved by God!  For as God loves we who do not deserve let us also love, even those who do not deserve!