November 22, 2021 - Isaiah 53

Sometimes that which is old and precious in our sight is suddenly removed and we grieve over the loss and destruction that occurs. This happened in April of 2019 when the Notre Dame Church in Paris suddenly became susceptible to destructive fires and the 850-year-old church suffered immense damage. The beauty and magnificence of the building was consumed in flames and the world mourned its devastation.

Israel certainly had experienced many times in their history when suddenly they had been confronted with broken dreams and forced relocations. For example, Abraham was told by God to move away from family and to go where He wanted him to go; Joseph deceitfully and violently was sold into captivity; the exodus from Egypt in the middle of the night followed by the wanderings of the people in the desert for forty years and finally, the captivity into Assyria and Babylon. As we look back, we see God had a plan and purpose for each of these events.

Isaiah prophesied that the Savior would be a man acquainted with grief, rejected and despised (v. 3). Even though He sought to instruct and lead people to His heavenly Father, they rebuffed and wounded Him in their denunciation of His love. His bruising, stripes and bearing of man's sins were all part of what had to happen so that we could be restored to fellowship with Him.

Freda Hanbury Allen writes, "The love of God a prefect plan is planning now for thee, it holds "a future and a hope," which yet thou canst not see. Though for a season, in the dark, He asks thy perfect trust, E'en that thou in surrender "lay Thy treasure in the dust," yet He is planning all the while, unerringly He guides the life of him, who holds His will more dear than all besides."

This week as you celebrate Thanksgiving consider that God has a plan that may include some pain, sorrow or uncertainties but He is working it for good. "I know the plans which I am planning for you, plans of welfare and not of calamity, to give you a future and a hope" Jeremiah 29:11.