Read Isaiah 40:1
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Isaiah 40:1
“Isaiah is great for two reasons,” wrote William Sanford LaSor in his
fascinating book Great Personalities of the Old Testament: “He lived
in momentous days, in critical days of international upheaval, and
he wrote what many consider to be the greatest book in the Old
Testament.”5
Isaiah is the prophet we need to hear today as he cries out God’s
message above the din of world upheaval, “Comfort, comfort my
people.” The English word comfort comes from two Latin words that
together mean “with strength.” When Isaiah says to us, “Be comforted!”
it is not a word of pity, but of power. God’s comfort does not weaken
us; it strengthens us. God is not indulging us, but empowering us. “In
quietness and in confidence shall be your strength” (30:15 KJV).
Something to Ponder
Think back to a time when God’s comfort gave you much strength.
What did you learn from that experience?