Isaiah 54:9-10 (NRSV)
Read Isaiah 54:9-10 on biblegateway.com
Verse 9This is like the days of Noah to me: Just as I swore that the waters of Noah would never again go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you and will not rebuke you. Verse 10For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Devotion
What a blessing! These words of God through the prophet Isaiah are the promise of relief for which we yearn during these 40 days of Lent. But let us not forget that God is not only merciful but also just. Our actions have consequences, and the handiwork of Jesus' contemporaries led to his torture and death. As often as we are unfaithful, unloving and ungrateful, so are we also guilty, ashamed and filled with regret. Yet even as we approach despair, we are humbled by God's faith in us. God's absolute grace washes over us and maintains the covenant of peace, the relationship of love that God promises us.
Prayer
Compassionate God, you remain beside me, shining light on the evil that I do. When I suffer in the hurt that I do to myself and to my neighbor, hold my hand and stay with me as I stumble back to your path of steadfast love. Amen.