Rejoice and Be Satisfied

We read from the last chapter of Isaiah today. As you remember from two weeks ago this is the third Isaiah had written after the return from captivity in Babylon. You may also remember that things were not going well. The economy was horrible. The temple was not built. The people who had dreamed of returning to some past ideal of Israel were frustrated and angry. Some even blamed God for their troubles and ran after idols and other gods.  Maybe the god of the people around them who seemed to be doing better was the true god. We do not know all the details of this time but we can hear the frustration of the people; their anger and disappointment. And then, in all of their despair Isaiah has the audacity to tell them to rejoice and be satisfied. 

What a difficult thing to do. When things are not going the way you desire when just getting by day after day is a struggle, what good are those words? How can we rejoice? Especially when the reason we cannot rejoice is because we are not satisfied. This seems like a never ending spiral of despair. Yet it is the way of God’s people. They were to rejoice and be satisfied because they were God’s people and that God was with them in their struggle. For us, that is even a more powerful reality. We have Jesus. No matter what happens to us, whatever our situation may be, Jesus walks with us and has filled us with the Holy Spirit. Jesus who emptied himself to live our life – who went through adversity, saw friends die and others suffer, was betrayed, and killed knows how difficult life can be – is the reason that we can rejoice and be satisfied in our life and lot.

You know others who cannot see this. Those friends and family members that always seem to complain about life and their situation. They are the ones who blame God for their dissatisfaction, disappointments, and trouble, instead of seeing God as their support and hope in those times. Maybe you have felt that way at times as well. To this God calls us through Isaiah’s words to rejoice and be satisfied. In fact, how you handled the troubles in your life just may be a great witness to others. By watching you and seeing how you are satisfied and rejoice in all situations they may desire a closer life with Jesus.

This is not to say your life will be easy. It is not to say we are to accept the world as it is. We are still called to work for truth and justice for all. We cannot be satisfied when there are people who suffer. But, since we can rejoice and be satisfied by what God has provided us, we can work to reconcile the world to God.