This is what the Lord says: “In the time of My favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ (Isaiah 49:8-9).
Heavenly Father, we learn so much of Your Father-heart as we see how You loved, and led, and shepherded, and protected, the people You called to be Your own! You show Yourself to be a God of grace, compassion, healing, and restoration.
Lord, Your word tells us that You are a jealous God (Deuteronomy 4:24). Many misinterpret this to be the twisted, impure, selfish jealousy of humanity, but not so, O God. Yours is a pure, holy, and righteous jealousy arising from Your limitless love and from Your desire to shield and protect us.
Even as human parents, we recognize in ourselves an intense desire to protect and guard our children against pitfalls, and people, and plans that could harm them. And in a much more perfect way, You, who see deeper, and wider, and farther than we can, set boundaries, and limits and commands to guard us, and protect us, and keep us safe.
Loving God, You fiercely, jealously, desire to surround us, so that we are not bruised and battered and abused and ensnared by the dangers around us. But just as we do not exercise iron control over our children without choice and freedom, You do not force us into Your will.
And like Your ancient people, we disobey, and disregard Your safeguards, and end up in darkness and captivity—far from home, stripped and plundered, chained and desolate. And yet, faithful God, You still grant us a time of Your favor; a day of salvation. O thank You for Your mercies that never fail.
O God of mercy, God of grace, thank You that even out of the ashes You restore, You reassign, You replenish. Thank You that You break our chains, You scatter our night. Thank You for Your voice of authority that finds us in our desolate places and commands us to "Come out," and to "Be Free."
But we pray for ourselves the prayer that we pray for our children, and our loved ones—that You bind our wandering hearts to You, that You draw us with cords of compassion, with the bands of love (Hosea 11:4 - RSV) so that we do not leave the shelter of Your presence and end up scathed and scalded, churned and chewed, and tossed and trampled by the treacherous world around us.
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