Gentleness

I encourage you to read Isaiah 40, the whole chapter. It is full of comfort, wisdom, and inspiration. Here are a few of the verses I wanted to especially pull out.
Isaiah 40
1 Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins.
10 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

There is alot there, alot alot. However what i want to focus on is God's gentleness with his beloved children. This chapter helps me understand a bit of God. Of his unconcieving strenght and love.

God here is talking to Isaiah, he is telling him to comfort his people, that he does see what they do and cares about them. He is not scolding or harsh though the people he is refering to have turned away from him again and again and again. Just in an way to general overview first they asked for God to give them rulers like everyone else and comes the time of the judges, however that didn't go as well as they hoped. So they asked for a king. God wanted to be their only king, but called Saul, then the kingdoms devided into Judea and Isreal. Still kings we human and the people did not remain godly. Then comes the prophets, like Isaiah, one by one to call the people back to God but as we see here God's message to his people is not of his anger or dissapointment. It is of his love, showing his gentlness. He tends us his sheep, carries us close to his heart (vs 11).

Like I have mentioned before hand God is different to all people. Think of how you see a friend of yours, your perception of them is going to be slightly different than that of their parents or even another friend. Therefore it is my argument perhaps that we all see, feel, experience God in different ways individuly. This passage describes a huge part of the God I know. The God that always welcomes me back into his arms when I have turned away, that picks me up when i have fallen, and the God that gives me strenght to go on. It is in my love for God that I act the way i do, not out of fear of going to hell, but because my relationship with him is the only thing i live for and i want to share him with the rest of the world. I want them to know they can find hope in him as well.
God Bless!
~your sister in Christ~Erin