Comfort God's people

Isaiah 40:1-2 GW

"Comfort My people! Comfort them!" says your God. [2] "Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and announce to it that its time of hard labour is over and its wrongs have been paid for. It has received from the LORD double for all its sins."

Aren't people doing exactly the opposite to God's Chosen at present?

The reviling of Israel is rife in the media and on the streets, championed by followers of radical Islam and, indeed, by those who have swallowed the lies of propaganda.

When people hear a claim repeated by many sources or peers, social conformity encourages acceptance regardless of facts.

But followers of Jesus are encouraged by Scripture to comfort His people.

We need to come along side and have tender words of support instead of harsh words of condemnation. Not only that, we have Scriptural context and spiritual prophetic proof that we are standing with the Lord when we do so.

This glorious passage is incorporated into Handel's Messiah and is used a lot at Christmas time.

However, the prophecy is yet to come because, Jesus has not returned to establish His rule and reign:

Isaiah 40:5,9-10 GW

Then the LORD's glory will be revealed and all people will see it together. The LORD has spoken." [9] Go up a high mountain, Zion. Tell the good news! Call out with a loud voice, Jerusalem. Tell the good news! Raise your voice without fear. Tell the cities of Judah: "Here is your God!" [10] The Almighty LORD is coming with power to rule with authority. His reward is with him, and the people He has won arrive ahead of Him.

The Servant King who came once as our great Sacrifice has an appointment to return in power and great glory, such glory and authority so that all humanity together will see it.

Not until today has that been possible, but via satellite technology and live broadcast, it now becomes capable of happening!

How did God know when He told Isaiah? Well, He knows the end from the beginning.

How many of the Hebrew race cling to the promises in Scripture? Perhaps they rather cling to their God-given ingenuity or the support of the USA.

However, it is a fatal flaw to count on human help. Only God is trustworthy and He calls on us to share the comfort we have received with others, particularly His people.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 GW

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Father who is compassionate and the God who gives comfort. [4] He comforts us whenever we suffer. That is why whenever other people suffer, we are able to comfort them by using the same comfort we have received from God. [5] Because Christ suffered so much for us, we can receive so much comfort from Him.

Pass on the comfort and encourage those who are suffering intensely because you yourself have received that comfort from Jesus.