a promise of significance

Yesterday, Creflo Dollar made reference to Isaiah 54:13, “All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children’s peace” (NIV). I read through the entire chapter today–several times–and I’m deeply moved. There are so many wonderful promises in this chapter:

• “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,“ says the LORD, who has compassion on you. (v. 10)
• In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you. (v. 14)
• If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you. (v. 15)
• no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. (v. 17)

We could stop with just verse 10: what more could we ask for than the unfailing love of our God? I like the way the Amplified offers the final thought in this verse: “nor shall My covenant of peace and completeness be removed.” Isn’t that what we all want–peace and completeness, wholeness?

Reading through this entire chapter, I believe that’s exactly what our loving God is ofering us. Isaiah 52 and 53 tell us that God will meet our first and greatest need: deliverance from bondage and salvation from sin. The chains binding the “captive daughter of Zion” can be put aside (52:2). But what comes next?

I’m reminded of the inmate in The Shawshank Redemption who found himself set free after decades in prison. We see him outside the walls, bagging groceries, in his room, looking lost, scared, confused. Captivity, for all its downsides, offers some certainty: you know what to expect and you know where you belong. For those of us delivered from serious bondages, the experience can be the same: yes, I’m free from my problem or my addiction, but now what?

In chapter 54, our loving Father answers that question. We will be productive, we will have something to show for our lives. We will have significance. Chapter 53 is the beautiful prophecy of Jesus and His bearing of our sins and infirmities. Chapter 54 opens with this:
“Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,“ says the LORD.

The one who has been barren and unproductive will now bear children–so much so that her tent will have to be enlarged (v. 2). What a promise!

I’ve heard these verses applied to women who have been unable to conceive, and I have no argument with that. But I believe that this refers to more than just children.

My life has not turned out quite as I imagined when I was 20. In college, reading the works of great authors, I imagined that by the time I was in my 40s, I would have joined their ranks. But by the time I was 30, I was seriously off-track, both in life goals and from God. By 35, my relationship with God was restored, but I often felt like it was too late to achieve what I had dreamed of–in many ways I felt barren, and I assumed that was one of the consequences of my choices.

But God says otherwise. Isaiah 54 is a promise to all of us who have squandered our resources, missed our opportunities, or let life go by without following through on what we once dreamed of. We will be barren no more!

It’s not enough to simply produce, however. Many people are “productive” without making any difference. Their productivity is simply busyness, and their efforts lack lasting significance. Not so with us. God tells us our “descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities” (v. 3). What we do–because we are redeemed–will have a lasting impact.

Not only does God address the issue of productivity and the desire for significance. He also addresses our fears of failure. For many of us who have “missed our chance,” the possibility of a new opportunity raises fears: what if I fail? It’s one thing to try and fail at 20–you can chalk it up to youth and inexperience. But failure at 40, 50, or beyond? It seems like there’s more on the line.

Look at what our Father promises:
“Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.

The world tells us “use it or lose it.” But God tells us that “His gifts and call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). With God it is never too late. Consider Hannah and Elizabeth, both of whom had suffered shame over their barrenness. Though we probably would like to be a Caleb, ready to take the land at the first opportunity, many of us are more like Moses and Peter who screwed up in major ways and wondered if their situations could ever be redeemed.

They would both offer a resounding “Yes!” It’s never too late to fulfill the call of God; it’s never too late to use your gifts in His service.

This motivates me. As I approach 42, I know my best days are ahead. God’s call to write has not been lost, and the last 20 years have given me much more experience and wisdom to draw on. Truly I can “burst into song and shout for joy,” for the Lord my Redeemer has compassion on me.