118. Comfort and Redeem
Isaiah 52:9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has comforted and redeemed His people, the Church. And the Lord promises to comfort and redeem each of us in our time of need and trouble. This promise came true in real life when the Son of God entered the world in the human birth of the Messiah. He came with this purpose and fulfilled this promise for us who will believe in Him. The Lord Jesus has brought comfort and redemption into our hearts, and we can rely on this promise every day. We mourn but we are comforted; we are enslaved but we are redeemed.
When we need comfort we have it. The Holy Spirit comes into the heart and comforts with the Gospel. When He convinces us of the love of God and the forgiveness of our sins we are comforted. It is our own sin and the sins of others that cause discomfort. It is death around us and the sure prospect of death within us that brings discomfort to the heart and soul. It is the devil and his lies that shoot the lying arrows of hurt and harm, guilt and shame, doubt and despair into the heart, which cause fear and anxiety. The Lord Jesus has defeated and wiped out these causes of discomfort. God loves us, cares for us, and wants us comfortable inside. And He has provided only one way to comfort His people: the Father sent the Son and the Spirit to comfort us.
Whenever we need redemption, which is always, we have it solid and sure. We need to be redeemed continually because we can touch our body to see if we are flesh and blood, we can look around and see that we are still in the world, and can be sure that the devil will always be lurking about lying and murdering. Sin, Satan and Death are constantly using the world and our own flesh to tempt us into sin and its harmful consequences. We never outgrow the need for redeeming, and, thank God for His promise, we always have it available. We are redeemed, presently, now, today, always, and forever.