Mercy: Isaiah 55

People tell me they are inspired by my hiking adventures. I am too. I find the simplicity, solitude, grandeur, and beauty of God's creation inspiring. It is the time and place to look, listen, reflect, and believe. You watch the sunrise and sunset everyday and are grateful. You walk all day and enjoy a sense of accomplishment. You feel true hunger and the pleasure of eating without guilt. You feel tired and know the reason why. You feel pain and know the immediate cause. Sleep is a gift. And sometimes you find yourself smiling for no other reason than it is good to be alive.

When I hike, I sometimes listen to worship music and find myself singing and moving and waving my arms; imagining myself as part of the dance of creation that is giving praise to God. Below is a verse from Isaiah 55 that describes how I feel.

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12

In this great demonstration of God's power in creation, Isaiah says we can experience joy and peace. Why? Because, this same God who speaks the world into existence and witnesses to creation's goodness has something to say to us. He invites those who are thirsty, or hungry, or lost, or wicked, or all of the above, to stop and listen. Listen! God declares His thoughts, His ways, and His Word are beyond what we can think, comprehend, or imagine. He says come, listen, seek, turn, and what you will find is mercy. And in His mercy there is joy and peace that quenches the greatest thirst, satisfies the deepest hunger, and draws the lost and wicked home. This is what He thinks. This is how He works. And His Word makes it so. If you don't believe me, just listen to the mountains and the hills as they sing about it and the trees of the field as they clap their hands. Take a moment to read Isaiah 55 out loud and delight in the God of creation who declares He is also YOUR merciful redeemer. Rejoice!