Pastor's Column 3/14/21

PASTOR’S COLUMN

“I will be your God throughout your lifetime – until your hair is white with age. I made you and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” Isaiah 46:4, NLT

2nd Sunday (4th in Lent)- Carrying You!

Since the earliest civilizations, people have turned to idols and false deities in hope of safety and protection. Biblical history records that such devotion has always ended in devastation and human destruction. It is to an emerging generation that Isaiah makes an appeal. The prophet is predicting the future invasion of Jerusalem by the nation of Babylon. He is aware that many of the younger Jews will be taken away from their homeland, while some of their family will remain in a Jerusalem that is under siege. After discussing the futility of being lured toward false gods, Isaiah reminds the people of how much God has cared for them. The voice of God is clear and reassuring in Isaiah’s prophecy. The Lord says, “I will be your God throughout your lifetime…” God iterates His care and protection for His people and reminds them that, “I will carry you along and save you.” This would be reassuring news to an emerging generation unfamiliar with the epochal trials of generations before them. Isaiah’s prophecy sounds like the declaration page of an insurance policy, assuring protection from future damages. In our day we have come to experience a God who “carries” us through the confusion and confrontations of our day. To know that we are being ushered to safety provides great assurance. When I was a first-year Junior High student, I walked to school, which was about two miles from our house. One morning as a friend and I walked, I collapsed and became unconscious. My friend, Ron, left me unresponsive, and ran to my house. My father, who was recuperating from recent surgery, came immediately, lifted me from the mud and took me home. I gained consciousness and was taken to the hospital. My Dad alone, carried me to a place of safety!