You Have Tasted That The Lord Is Good

We have tasted that the Lord is good. We have discovered that by drinking deep at God’s Word we

II. Rejoice in God’s blessing

Remember the children of Israel were hearing God’s judgement against them chapter after chapter in Isaiah. They had been hearing God’s judgement against the world and had maybe almost given up hope. Now the Lord says through His prophet Isaiah that there still is hope – and tells them of the greatest blessing that they would have -- 13As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem." They would have comfort. They would see the destruction of Jerusalem but they would have comfort. The church would not be destroyed. Isaiah was not making these words up. He says, ‘This is what the Lord says.’ He reminded them that this is what the Lord says to you. This is what I say to you as the Lord’s prophet.

What did the Lord say? 12For this is what the LORD says: "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;” In the midst of trouble, in the midst of war they would find peace because the Lord would give it to them. Then he goes back to that picture of the mother ‘church’ -- you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. What a beautiful picture of how the Lord cares for His church. After the setting of this, it almost seems as if the church had been forsaken but it had not. The Lord still cared for it as a parent cares for his/her child.

In the end he says, 14when you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass;

the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes. In the end they would see that the Lord’s had was with them, with His church. The Lord’s hand was against His enemies. Isaiah was having them focus on the present. When Jerusalem was destroyed the church would not be destroyed. He’s having them look way into the future and reminding them (just as you and I look back) that the Lord did destroy the enemies of the church. He destroyed the power of sin, the power of the devil and power of death itself. We see these words of fulfillment in our New Testament church times.

We rejoice in God’s blessings when we drink deeply at God’s Word. No matter how we might consider our life, we can always find blessing upon blessing. We could spend all day just looking at the earthly blessings. Certainly the Lord reminds us of His spiritual blessings. Sometimes we may not always first consider which are the most important. One of those Isaiah mentioned. He says, "I will extend peace to her (to my church) like a river.” We find that fulfillment when Jesus came and spoke to His disciples in the gospel of John. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid"(JOHN 14:27).

You and I can rejoice that we have peace that comes from God – peace that the world cannot give us. In fact, the world gives us just the opposite. It always seems as if there is no peace on earth. It always seems that there is something else to fear or be troubled about. Jesus tells us He gives us peace that the world cannot give so that we do not have to be troubled, so that we do not have to be afraid of what the future holds. You and I understand that that peace is a peace that surpasses understanding because it’s that peace which comes from the forgiveness of sins. The forgiveness of sins – Christ died for us even though we did not deserve it. He paid the price even though we did not ask Him to. That is God’s peace for us.