Series: Renewal
Isaiah 42:1-8 ESV
My latest trip to the local large supermarket was somewhat disappointing.
I have a special diet (by choice) and I have a short list of treat items that I enjoy once a day. Today I was disappointed to find they were out of my treat food.
I have to admit I was disappointed for just a second.
It didn’t last long because I saw my 96 year old Mother and I remembered her history.
She was born during the Great Depression.
She was a teenager during World War War 2.
She waved goodbye to her older brother when he joined the navy and left for basic training. Most of the ships were bound for the Pacific. My dad was a Navy man and he was a bit younger that him and he served in the Navy during WW2 as well.
What I remembered when I looked at her was the shortages during the war.
They had ration cards.
You could not stock up.
Interestingly enough canned goods were in short supply because those were needed by the troops. Factory workers were in short supply because most of the men were serving in the military.
Agricultural workers were also in short supply for the same reason.
The older women who were left had to be creative about food source and supply. My Mother said her Mom (who grew up on a farm) went to “canning”.
One item that was in very short supply that might cause rioting in the streets today was sugar (I am joking). Because of the short supply, sugar was severely rationed.
Baking was only done for very special occasions.
When Mother was 15 years old she went to work at Montgomery Ward and as soon as she turned 16 years old she was hired by the telephone company. She was excited about the opportunity. They were blessed because my grandfather was a railroad mechanic. He was even employed during the depression.
However, other family members lived with them when they “fell on hard times”. Mother said every bed in their house was full during those years.
Because of the shortage of workers women everywhere went to work to fill jobs.
Everyone did their bit. They worked and they helped others.
Isaiah 42:1-8 gives us a clue about God’s heart when times are hard. We can count on God’s plan and promise through Jesus, “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights;I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.
Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it,who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:
“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you;I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.”
I’m not sure why when I looked at my Mother today and remembered she lived through a time when the words of Isaiah 42 would have been ever so comforting.
Maybe it’s because the fear of watching all the boys (and many women) get on a train bound for basic training when they were 16 years young. They couldn’t join on their own until they were 18 years old but most boys begged to go as soon as they turned 16 years old.
Maybe it’s because of the food shortages…
Maybe it’s because they did not know the outcome of the war.
Maybe it was because many of those young boys and even some girls did not come home.
Maybe it’s because everything on the planet seemed to be uncertain and they needed to be reminded God will bring forth Justice.
God created the heaven and the earth and it was God who sustains the planet.
God gives breath.
God is our light.
God…holy God will not share glory with another nor will God allow false idols to win the victory.
Yes…we remember there was a time when we were afraid. We also remember God did not fail.
Spiritual Practice: Fear
Practice this response to fear. Breathe in the name of God…breathe out your fear.
In God, Deborah
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