The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens – wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.
Isaiah 50:4
The first half of Isaiah is a strong condemnation of the sins of Judah and Israel. But the later chapters recount the hope of salvation as Isaiah describes God's promise through the coming Messiah. In this passage 'the servant' acknowledges God's gift of teaching and his mandate to sustain the 'weary' by sharing God's promise. Who are the 'weary'? Are they the sick, the lonely? Are they those in desperate need of a word of encouragement and support, or those on the margins of society who are neglected and in danger of being forgotten. What does a 'servant' look like today in 2012? Are you a servant, spreading hope to the 'weary' of today?
Do you know someone or maybe you have seen someone you recognized was in need of a consoling word, a friendly smile or the assurance that God loves them? Did you reach out and provide that comfort, that smile, that assurance? As we remember God's son giving his life for us, can each of us give a word, a hug, a promise of God's love to another in need?
Taylor Milbradt
