devotional and commentary on Isaiah 30 | by artist and writer, annalisa v. sawtell

Consider the loving devotion of the Lord to beckon us to bring the fullness of our selves and circumstances into the light of his presence.

When you’re in hard times, who do you turn to?

Yes, yes, of course—you might be assuming that the correct answer here is Jesus. And you’d be right, and we will be getting there…But before we do, let’s think about the humans we know who aren’t Jesus.

When you are struggling, sad, weary, or overwhelmed, who do you like to talk to? And who do you not like to talk to?

My guess is that, if you’re like most people, you want to talk to someone who is compassionate. Someone who will see your pain and care deeply. Who desires to help you experience less pain. Who will be good to you in your trouble.

When we encounter someone who is lacking compassion during a time that we desperately need it, our pain is multiplied and our tender, wounded spirits can feel entirely crushed.

Taking a moment to consider what compassion feels like and how we have seen and experienced it in the physical world helps us to understand more at a heart-level just how valuable this description of Jesus is in the text we’ll look at today: Psalm 116.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV