The God who Made You

I’ve been reading through the Bible chronologically. Instead of reading Genesis through Revelation, the books are arranged by the time they were written. This week, I’ve been reading in Isaiah, who was a prophet. Isaiah was quoted often in the New Testament by John the Baptist, Jesus, and Paul, the apostle. The language is beautiful and has been compared with the beauty of Shakespeare’s writings. Although I don’t understand all of it, the words give me peace and comfort.

Yesterday, I read the following passage: “Don’t be afraid, because you will not be ashamed. Don’t be embarrassed, because you will not be disgraced. You will forget the shame you felt earlier; you will not remember the shame you felt when you lost your husband. The God who made you is like your husband. His name is the Lord All-Powerful. The Holy One of Israel is the one who saves you. He is called the God of all the earth. You were like a woman whose husband left her, and you were very sad. You were like a wife who married young and then her husband left her. But the Lord called you to be his,”says your God. God says, “I left you for a short time, but with great kindness I will bring you back again. I became very angry and hid from you for a time, but I will show you mercy with kindness forever,” says the Lord who saves you (Isaiah 54:4-7 NCV).

The first time I read that passage, I was in a tough place in my first marriage. I felt misunderstood and that my husband, although he never left me as the passage says, I felt deserted and not loved. That changed after a period of rough years, but for a time, I felt very alone in my marriage. It may have looked normal on the outside, but inside, we were not happy or connected. I felt very alone. The above passage gave me hope. The God who made you is like your husband, (Isaiah 54: 5), gave me courage. I felt embraced by a kind Heavenly Father who I knew loved me.

The years of estrangement passed and our marriage became much better. And that part of the story is for another time, but I as I read that passage, I didn’t feel so alone.

The next time the passage helped was when I really was alone. All of my adult life–from age 19 until age 59, I was married and lived with someone. Before that, I lived with my birth family. Now I was alone. My children were adults and on their own. I was the only one in my house. With tears coursing down my face, I read, that same passage. God promised to be like my husband. The God who made you is like your husband. Once again the passage buoyed me with strength. My husband was gone, but God was not.

What about you today? Do you feel alone even though your house isn’t empty, but your marriage seems empty? Are you widowed as I was? Do you feel rejected–by a husband, or child, or friend?

I love another passage in Isaiah, Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.I will hold you up with my victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10 NLT).

I heard just this week that the word “fear” is mentioned 365 times in the Bible. God knows we as humans often experience fear. That’s a comfort to me and I hope to you, too.

I suggest you open your Bible to about the middle of it, and read Isaiah. You can read all of chapter 54, but there is much in the entire book. Some you may not understand, but I hope some will give you hope and encouragement as it did for me this week, years ago, and today.

Below, enjoy the beautiful harmony and rest in what God–Jesus Christ–did for you!