Focal passage: Isaiah 25:1-10a
Staying at my grandparents’ house in the summer was sometimes tough. Oh, there were certainly the fun times of playing in the yard, fishing with PawPaw, special snacks and all the rest. It was not, however, all fun and games.
Sometimes there was working in the garden – tilling, planting, weeding and harvesting. There were also the challenges of fire ants, yellow jackets or skinned knees from bicycle crashes. But there was always one thing we looked forward to – being called to the dinner table!
No matter what the day had been like, we knew the day was going to end around the table with a great feast. There would be love, acceptance, feasting and fellowship. It was a joyous time.
The people of Israel in Isaiah’s day were facing daily tribulations and trials. They were facing, and would face, God’s punishment for their disobedience. They were facing harassment and subjugation by bully nations around the region. They were longing for relief. They desired God’s rescue. While many had forsaken God, there was always a remnant that knew the God in whom they had believed.
As much as I enjoyed dinner time at PawPaws, the joy didn’t last forever. We would be back to work the next day. Further, over time, there were empty chairs around the table – first MaMaw’s, then PawPaw’s.
We can labor faithfully amid the suffering today, knowing that our day of ultimate deliverance is coming. Our God saves!