Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem.
Isaiah 52:9 (ESV)
Waste places. Lord Jesus, oh, how I so often feel like waste places, so often longing and desiring to be comforted in a world where I don’t seem to fit in, where my true desires are at constant odds with the desires imposed upon me by the world and my flesh. It is in this barren wasteland of the soul that I can often find my self stumbling into unaware, resulting from little things like being rushed to slight my quiet time with You, my failure to read and meditate on Your Word, or being over-consumed with the demands and responsibilities of the day. It is in that place that my soul searches for You, longs for You, parched from the lack of Living Water (Psalm 63:1).
My soul rejoices today for in those times You have been that for me my comfort and my strength. In You I find peace and my soul goes into joyous singing! You have not only redeemed my soul, but daily refresh it with Your Spirit and Your Word, providing glimmers of what is to come when I am eternally in Your presence, eating from the trees of life that grow on either side of the river that flows from Your throne! Through Your glorious redemption, You have purchased me for Yourself, calling me a prized possession (Deuteronomy 7:6), a beloved bride (Isaiah 54:5-7), precious in Your sight (Isaiah 43:4). You loved me so much that who You gave for me was Yourself! Hallelujah!
Thank You, Lord, for being my Comforter and Redeemer. Thank You for looking past my stumbling bull-headedness and giving me just what I needed when I needed it how I needed it. You are that oasis in the midst of a desert wasteland, restoring me day in and day out. I rush into Your presence this day, holding Your hand, as You walk with me through this garden of life. Thank You for being that kind of God. Amen.