Reassurance for exiles

Bread for eating

The Old Testament lesson for Sunday is the beautiful passage from Isaiah in which God promises that his word will not go empty:

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty."

Isaiah is writing for the exiles in Babylon. They've been forcibly deported from their homeland and undoubtedly feel that God has failed them. Why did God let this happen?

But Isaiah writes to reassure them that God's plans never fail. The words that God speaks will come to pass, as sure as rain and snow bring forth grain for eating.

When we feel anxious and unsure, it's helpful to remember that God's words never go empty. We can trust that somehow, in some way, God will bring us through every difficult time. We don't need to control everything; we can let God take care of things.
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