Speaking through the prophet, God reminds the Hebrew people who have been exiled and held captive that theirs is a God of liberation. Theirs is a God who makes a way when it seems there is no way. Theirs is a God who offers rest and refreshment to those who are weary and parched. These words are meant to bring hope to a people who must have felt things would never get better, who must have thought they would never know true freedom, never have a choice about how and where they would live. Here, God is saying, “I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again.”
What situations in the world or in your life seem hopeless? Where does it seem like there is no way out of this? What holds you back from living a life of meaning, of contentment and gratitude, of freedom to be your authentic self? How do these verses reminding you of what God has done affect your ability to trust in what God is doing and will do?
Today, think of ways your words or actions might be a reminder of God’s redemptive love for someone who is struggling to remain hopeful. Offer this person and their situation to God in prayer and commit yourself to reaching out in the next day or two.
