My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Isaiah 50-57 and a lesson titled “He Hath Borne Our Griefs, and Carried Our Sorrows.” The following information introduced the lesson.
Throughout
his ministry, Isaiah spoke of a mighty deliverer. These prophecies would have
been especially precious to the Israelites centuries later when they were in
captivity in Babylon. Someone who could tear down the walls of Babylon would be
a mighty conqueror indeed. But that isn’t the kind of Messiah that Isaiah
described in chapters 52-53: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from
him. … We did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted” (Isaiah
53:3-4).
By
sending such an unexpected deliverer, God taught us about true deliverance. To
save us from oppression and affliction, God sent One who Himself “was
oppressed, and … afflicted.” Where some expected a lion, He sent a lamb (see Isaiah
53:7). Surely, God’s ways are not our ways (see Isaiah 55:8-9). Jesus Christ
frees us not by just opening the prison but by taking our place there. He
relieves us from our chains of grief and sorrow by bearing them Himself (see Isaiah
53:4-5, 12). He does not save us from a distance. He suffers with us, in acts
of “everlasting kindness” that “shall not depart from thee” (Isaiah 54:8, 10).
The scripture block teaches the following principles: (1) The future is bright for the Lord’s people (Isaiah 50-52); (2) Jesus Christ took upon Himself my sins and sorrows (Isaiah 53); (3) Jesus Christ wants me to return to Him (Isaiah 54; 57:15-19); (4) The Lord invites all to “take hold of my covenant” (Isaiah 55-56). This essay will discuss principle #4 about Christ desiring each of us to return to Him.
Each of
us has times when we feel far from God. Usually, the distance comes because of
our sins or weaknesses. I have found that stress and extreme fatigue can affect
how quickly the distance grows. Isaiah 54 and 57 are chapters that are full of
reassurance and encouragement. Isaiah 54:4-10 is one place that contains encouragement.
4
Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to
the people.
5
Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew
not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One
of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
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¶ Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
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Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let
him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for
he will abundantly pardon.
8
¶ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith
the Lord.
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For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not
thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may
give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
The
above verses tell us how the Savior feels about each one of us. What difference
does it make in your life to know these things about Him? President Dieter F.
Uchtdorf taught the following.
“It
matters not how completely ruined our lives may seem. It matters not how
scarlet our sins, how deep our bitterness, how lonely, abandoned, or broken our
hearts may be. Even those who are without hope, who live in despair, who have
betrayed trust, surrendered their integrity, or turned away from God can be
rebuilt. …
“The joyous news of the gospel is this: because of the eternal plan of happiness provided by our loving Heavenly Father and through the infinite sacrifice of Jesus the Christ, we can not only be redeemed from our fallen state and restored to purity, but we can also transcend mortal imagination and become heirs of eternal life and partakers of God’s indescribable glory” (“He Will Place You on His Shoulders and Carry You Home,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 102).
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