Friday, April 2, 2010

The Past Redeemed

I was flipping through my Bible to today's recommended Holy Week reading and I noticed these words I had highlighted in Isaiah:
"'Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; and do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; but you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the LORD of hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth. For the LORD has called you, like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even like a wife of one's youth when she is rejected,' says your God. 'For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you,' says the LORD your Redeemer." (Is. 54:4-8).

What a promise! The Lord God of heaven will redeem all the pain of our imperfect relationships - rejection, shame, abandonment, disgrace - and will Himself become our husband - one whose love is everlasting and whose mercies are new every morning. I am so thankful for this reminder and hope to live out the reality of it in my life.

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