A cry for help answered

Isaiah 30 : 19 - 26

This will all happen when the Lord bandages and heals the wounds he has given his people. (GNB)

The Lord is compassionate, Isaiah reminds his people. When you cry to him for help he will answer you. Even when difficult times are a form of discipline - it is the Lord himself who will teach us. This is really the gospel, the good news. I can no longer image the Lord as an angry punishing Judge when I read and understand the prophets reflectively. There are many instances of the Lord's anger and punishment of his disobedient people. This is only right and true, for love does not rejoice and approve of wrong - but nowhere is God the distant Judge handing down the sentence. It pains him even to discipline. And unlike any human judge, who remains objective and distant, the Lord's 'anger' is a suffering one. As any parent knows it pains us more than it hurts our children when we have to discipline them.

As a human parent I wonder how often I have been there to 'teach' my children after the discipline is meted out. As I internalize this passage, I will make a careful note of how I continue to be with my children, even at such times. The Lord gives us the perfect model - that of loving and compassionate Parent who disciplines but does not judge in the way we expect judgment to be carried out (upon our enemies, of course!). Indeed, how fortunate that his judgement is not of that nature, for sometimes, we are our own worst enemies, who then 'deserve punishment'.

There is no hint here of conditions - you do this and the Lord does that. The people who experience the grace of God who answers and teaches them - will themselves throw out their idols. The sequence is important. They do this after experiencing the unconditional love of God, not in order to earn it.

Let us cry for help then, and trust that the Lord will answer. He will teach, he will bring fruitfulness from the ashes of our lives.