15 March 2007

hidden no more

hope

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:

"In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.

You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt.
They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’
But the only swiftness you are going to see
is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!

A thousand will flee
at the threat of one;
at the threat of five
you will all flee away,
till you are left
like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
like a banner on a hill."


Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
He's gathering strength to show mercy to you.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for Him!

O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. Cry for help and you'll find it's grace and more grace! As soon as He hears, He will answer you. Although the LORD gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, “Good riddance!”

Then the LORD will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock. The oxen and donkeys you use for hauling and plowing will be fed well. In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill. Moonlight will flare into sunlight, and sunlight, like a whole week of sunshine at once, will flood the land when the LORD binds up the bruises of His people and heals the wounds He inflicted.

[Isaiah 30:15-26 NIV/NLT/MSG]

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