Trusting in Christ through the unknown: A reflection on Isaiah 55

 "For you shall go out in joy 

and be led forth in peace; 

the mountains and the hills before you 

shall break forth into singing, 

and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 

Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; 

instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; 

and it shall make a name for the Lord, 

an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

Isaiah 55 is a chapter speaking comfort to the exhiles leaving Babylon. Those who seek after God, repent of their sin will experience peace and joy in their walk with God. This does not mean they will not have trouble. God does not promise us a trouble free life, but instead promises that He will be near and walk with us through the storms. Walking with Christ will change the way we live; hard things in our lives will build character and endurance as we allow Christ to transform us. And God is glorified in all the details of our walk, the choices we make while allowing the gospel shine through our lives. 

As I have shared in the past, I have been working on memorizing scripture. I was listening to a John Piper message on Isaiah 55 where he spoke on the first few verses. He encouraged his listeners to memorize the passage and since I was just finishing memorizing Psalm 16 and needing something else to work on, I stepped in and began working on committing Isaiah 55 to memory. 

The past few weeks, I have been working on memorizing and meditating on the last few verses of this passage and came to verse 12 and 13. As I was meditating on verse 12, I was reminded of the mountains in Colorado with the forest, alpine (my favorite!), streams, and gorgeous valleys. Homestead meadows is a favorite hike I have done with my brother several times in the past and it is a trailhead that leads to forgotten homesteads from over a hundred years ago. It is a beautiful valley of green grass, flowers and trees. Those moments of hiking in such beauty bring such peace and joy as I marvel at God's creation. 

Matthew Henry writes how God went before his people as they returned from Babylon. They traversed over mountains and hills to return to their homeland of Israel and Jerusalem.

My dad began a cancer journey last summer. It was discovered that he has asbestos cancer in his right lung. After treatments in the university hospital in Omaha where doctors flushed out some of the crusty stuff in his right lung, he had a PET scan that did not show cancer. It was thought, cancer was most likely still there but hard to see from the six flushes. Recently, he had another PET scan that shows the cancer is growing. There were tubes in his side from the flushes and a bump that will be surgically removed. He has an upcoming appointment with his oncologist to find out more information of the asbestos cancer, it's growth rate and what his treatment plan is in the coming weeks and months. 

Through all of this, it would be easy to give into fear and anxiety. After losing my mom last summer, I would really love to have my dad around for the next several years. I don't feel prepared to lose him. I also don't know how serious the cancer is and have been reminding myself that God is in control of all things. He knew all this would happen with my dad and by His grace, I find that His timing is perfect. Even if I don't understand all the particulars and details and what the future holds. 

So, I will continue to remind myself through scripture and prayer in the coming days and weeks that I can trust God to write my story. He is faithful and true. 

The photos I have shared with you are from the last time I hiked Homestead Meadows with my brother, Daniel in the summer of 2021. Maybe we will repeat our tradition this summer?