Despite years of Bible reading in my life, until recent years I had never actually read all of the prophets. My reason? I always found them way too depressing and scary. Was it right to avoid them for that reason? No. Was I wrong in my assessment? Also no.
Books of the Bible like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and all the other prophets are rife with absolute horror and suffering. They recount the miserable, heartbreaking, and catastrophic straits God’s people find themselves in. Then to cap it all off, these gentlemen tend to double down and share the oh-so cheerful news that things are going to get much worse. So much worse. Yay.
This is not the stuff of happy, storybook Bible reading and neither should it be. Like a parent who has given their child countless chances to shape up before letting consequences play out, God is at the end of his rope with his people. I’m in the book of Isaiah right now and it feels like chapter after chapter of absolute doom and gloom that makes me want to snap the pages shut and look away. Worse yet, my feelings of unease are compounded by the fact that I know I’m no better than the people Isaiah’s words were directed at. I am a miserable screw up who has done things that break God’s heart, and I don’t much enjoy reading what Isaiah has to say about miserable screw ups who break God’s heart.
But if we shut the book there, we miss the final movement of the whole thing. No matter what prophet you’re reading, there always comes a point where the depictions of horor stop and something wonderful is promised.
God promises to move.
No matter how ugly or bad things get, God always turns to offering hope. As many times as he tells what horrible consequences are coming, he reiterates that he has a plan even more. He outlines his plan for redemption and reassures the lost that he will bring them home whatever it takes. And it will take a lot, but God has measured the cost and had a son willing to pay it.
What was true thousands of years ago is true of you today.
There is a way out of the mess. There is rescue from our perils. We are wanted and loved despite our horrible mistakes. We can live our whole lives knowing the Bible and still need to preach this Truth to ourselves. God loves us enough to make a way back to him out of our mess.
When your life feels like it’s sinking in Isaiah sized despair, know that God’s intent is to have the last word. This book of yours is not meant to end in gloom and heartbreak but in restoration and peace. To him, you are worth every bit of trouble it may take to rescue you and change the ending of your story for good.
Our God is not a God of sad endings.
Let’s find some joy,
A
Avalon Robinson Author 