Isaiah 51:11-13 -- On Worry and Compassion

"Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?"
Isaiah 51:11-13


There are a lot of good things here, but the biggest thing that struck me today about this passage is the "hast feared continually every day" part, I think indicating that the Lord is worried for us / has compassion for our circumstances. Not in a sense where he doesn't have the ability to intervene or anything, but in the same sense that Jesus was sad at the death of Lazarus. He knew that Lazarus would rise again, and that sorrow would turn into joy, but sorrow still had its place, and his emotion was appropriate to what was going on then. God knows that we can get through the trials that we go through, and that after this life we are going to experience so much joy that any pain will shrink in our memories and be as nothing in comparison... but just like a parent wouldn't dismiss a child's pain because he knows it will feel better in a few hours, he doesn't dismiss the way that we feel now, or the challenges that we face. He worries for us, and is willing to reach out and help us in our moments of pain and fear and temptation, because those things matter to us now, so they also matter to him.

Today, let's remember that God has true compassion for us, understanding what we are going through in the moment and caring enough to help, even when he knows that our challenges are temporary. He honestly worries about us as his children, and will do all that he can to help us overcome our challenges and learn from our experiences. I think if we could get just a tiny glimpse of how much he cares about us, we wouldn't hesitate to turn to him for help, and we would trust his guidance. Maybe a good idea is to read this verse and other verses about God's love, and pray for that small glimpse. He loves us so very much, and he will help us feel that and gain comfort.