Colleen was cooking Hamburger Helper when Cal opened the back door and dropped his gym bag on his sons’ soccer cleats.  “You ready to eat?” she said.

“No.  I got a juice with Sue.”  He threw his coat on a chair by the table.

Colleen felt like an Arctic front had swept through the kitchen.

“Don’t give me that look.” Cal picked up his brief case. “I’ve told you before.  She’s helping me lose weight.”

“But….”

“I’m going to the den to finish my work.”

Colleen followed him from the kitchen.  “You said you’d help Matt with his Science Fair project.”

“That was before I knew the Quarterly Reports are due.  You help him with his dumb assignment.”

The door slammed.

Colleen ate Cal’s and her share of Hamburger Helper while she watched Matt make a weather chart.  After tucking Mark and Matthew in bed she listened at the door of the den.

“That’s sweet of you to say,”  Cal murmured.

Colleen knew.  Before picking up the kids she had driven past Cal’s office.  His car wasn’t there, and, it wasn’t at the Y.  It crossed her mind to see if there actually were sweaty clothes in the gym bag.  Instead, she sought for the treasure in her coat pocket: her grandmother’s Codeine cough syrup.  It wasn’t as good as what she’d found in her friends’ medicine cabinets, but it would help her through tonight.

*    *   *   *   *    *

     Imagine feeling broken and betrayed like Colleen.  What would you need if you were her?  Someone with understanding to say, “You’re not alone.  I’ll listen because I love you and I care.”  God personally offers comfort to you.  He spoke His words through Isaiah to people who had lost everything.

In chapter 40:1of Isaiah, God said, “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!”  The Hebrew words Isaiah used mean to convey ‘compassionate whispers to the heart.’   God yearned to be an understanding friend to the Jews of Isaiah’s day and to you right where you are.  The Lord offers loving consolation for weary people who are searching.

God said, “Her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”  How’s that comfort?  I think many of us feel we’ve already received more than our share of troubles!  The shame we feel validates our gut reaction: God is punishing us for all the stupid things we’ve done.  Not only that, we sense guilt, like Colleen, for circumstances beyond our control.  In any event, we usually resort to poor choices for handling desperate situations.  We believe God isn’t going to let us off the hook.

True, God can’t wink at grievances.  He’s holy.  Sin offends Him greatly.

Friend, we miss what Isaiah was saying about iniquity being pardoned and receiving double from the Lord’s hand because we read from a 21st century cultural background.  Dr. Ironside, a respected Bible commentator, helps us understand the analogy Isaiah was making.  If someone was in debt in ancient Israel, they could borrow money against their home (That’s nothing new.).  A note was nailed to their doorpost stating the amount owed to the creditor (That’s embarrassing.).  On the day the homeowner paid off the debt, the creditor secured his copy of the IOU to the doorpost (That’s freedom and relief!).

David Guzik, a Hebrew scholar, enlightens us more on Isaiah’s remark about “receiving double from the Lord’s hand.”  Receiving double comes from a word meaning ‘to fold over, fold in half.’  For example, if you were to make a birthday card you would fold the paper so the corners meet precisely.  One half corresponds exactly to the other half.

   Does God expect us to pay for our sin in order to get His attention and love?  You could never, never do it.  You already know it.  We are caught in a downward spiral of loneliness and low self-esteem, just like Colleen.  Yet the Holy God wants to comfort us.  How can we look up to Him when He sees our guilt and shame?

Let’s apply what we’ve learned from Isaiah:  Imagine living in a run-down house.  You broke the windows in it when you were frustrated.  You stained the carpet because you didn’t care.  You neglected all of the needed repairs then made excuses that you didn’t know where to start fixing the mess.  Vermin have taken over the attic; they scare you at night.  Though your house matches all the others on your block you hate it.  The CONDEMNED sign on the porch gives you the willies.  The FORECLOSURE sign worries you.  This is a picture of a life in shambles and despair.  Your life, your house, is like the debt-ridden one Isaiah was talking about.

However, when everything looked hopeless God conveyed ‘compassionate whispers.’ In the book of Isaiah He called to the Israelites while they were rebellious saying their iniquity was pardoned, and they had received “from my hand double for all your sins.” The rest of the book of Isaiah describes how by foretelling the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Today we look back to the cross of Jesus Christ.  He took the total punishment for our sins.  Jesus paid every one’s horrible sin-debt to God.  The freedom of debt-free living is ours if we accept it.

Sister, God loves you so much He sent Jesus to come to your house.  Jesus paid your mortgage with His life’s blood.  He wants to prepare a home for you with Him in heaven.  John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him might be saved.”

Start a new life by telling God you are sorry you offended Him with your sin.  Thank Him for the gift of Jesus Christ and forgiveness.  Walk with God every day by reading His Word and praying.  You will not feel worthless or alone if you remember what God the Father and Jesus Christ have done for you.  Accept gracious love today.