“Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.
2 “Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, that she has received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”
2 “Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, that she has received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”
3 A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
4 “Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley;
5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.
4 “Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley;
5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.
9 Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him.
11 Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.
10 Behold, the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him.
11 Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked off the heavens by the span, and calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in a pair of scales?
13 Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has informed Him?
14 With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge and informed Him of the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.
16 Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
17 All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.
13 Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has informed Him?
14 With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge and informed Him of the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.
16 Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
17 All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.
18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?
19 As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, a goldsmith plates it with gold, and a silversmith fashions chains of silver.
20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering selects a tree that does not rot; he seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman to prepare an idol that will not totter.
19 As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, a goldsmith plates it with gold, and a silversmith fashions chains of silver.
20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering selects a tree that does not rot; he seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman to prepare an idol that will not totter.
21 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
23 He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.
24 Scarcely have they been planted, scarcely have they been sown, scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, but He merely blows on them, and they wither, and the storm carries them away like stubble.
25 “To whom then will you liken Me that I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing.
22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
23 He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.
24 Scarcely have they been planted, scarcely have they been sown, scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, but He merely blows on them, and they wither, and the storm carries them away like stubble.
25 “To whom then will you liken Me that I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.
29 He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power.
30 Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.
29 He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power.
30 Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.
Reminder: "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will. When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!
It is God's will:
- that we remember the Almighty God created the universe, and recognize that the Lord is amazing beyond anything we could ever imagine (40:26)
- that we look to the all-knowing Lord for everything and wait for His answers to all our prayers (40:31)
- that we comfort God's people (40:1)
- that we let the Israelites know about the hope and peace found in Jesus (40:2)
- that Israel as a nation will, (one day) during the Tribulation, recognize that Jesus was and is their Messiah, and at His second coming, they will enter into the Millennial kingdom with Him, and all their covenants will be fulfilled (40:9)
Today's prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You that You are there for us - for everything - because You care! You are a God of lovingkindness! You are the Creator, and You are able to multitask! Nothing is impossible with You! So, nothing is too big or too small.
We pray for Israel and Your chosen ones. May they have opportunities to hear the gospel message. May they have hearts that desire to get to know You. Thank You that You are a God of faithfulness, so we can know that when You make a promise, it will happen. Let Your kingdom come!
Help us to wait patiently in You. Until You choose to rapture us, help us to continue living obediently in Your will. Amen.
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You that You are there for us - for everything - because You care! You are a God of lovingkindness! You are the Creator, and You are able to multitask! Nothing is impossible with You! So, nothing is too big or too small.
We pray for Israel and Your chosen ones. May they have opportunities to hear the gospel message. May they have hearts that desire to get to know You. Thank You that You are a God of faithfulness, so we can know that when You make a promise, it will happen. Let Your kingdom come!
Help us to wait patiently in You. Until You choose to rapture us, help us to continue living obediently in Your will. Amen.
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