I forgot my logbook

I have travelled to the UK without my logbook to record my thoughts in as I read the bible so I have decided to put them online.

Today I read Isaiah 51.
v.1 "The Lord says, Listen to me, those of you who try to live right and follow the Lord"

OK: thats me (I am trying) so I should listen up to the next bit..

v.1b "Look at the rock from which you were cut; look at the stone from which you were dug"

This is on about looking at where you came from, your roots and past. This was talking to the Jews, and verse 2 goes on about Abraham and Sarah and blessings God gave to them. He fulfilled impossible promises for them. These people listening to this prophesy were in desparate times and would have needed a miracle to be saved and even survive! Here they are told to look at Gods work in the past and believe that he can act to save them, and that he will.

v.3 "he will show mercy to those who live in her ruins" (talking about the capital city of the Jes, which was wrecked..
These people had suffered devastation and needed God to restore them. Here God is promising to restore them and show them mercy. He also does this to us.

I have been through some personal devastation. Devastated when my mum died, when my son was very ill. The whole world is devastated in one way or another, through our personal tragedies, wasted lives, disappointments, broken relationships, illness, disaster, death. And our spiritual wasteland called our heart is a barren place.
God restores. He promises to restore us - and he does that through a relationship with him. My heart has in many ways been restored. I have a completeness I didn't have before, I have a light in dark times that I didn't have before. The darkness is still black like the night but there is a flicker in me that keeps me spurring on, hoping (not in the idle fashion) assured that a day of complete restoration will come - that I will see God return and restore his world and people.

Part of me fears the future, I think about the gloomy times of the past couple of years and wonder if things will get any better for my family. In my heart springs a hope and a peace that even if the days ahead are darker than I would like that the light in my heart will continue to shine. And it's when that light is dimmed that I truly feel devastated and lonely even when surrounded by people.

Thos reading my blog regularly will know that I have my battles with God and I wrestle with my faith sometimes. Even in those times I am utterly convinced by the reality and power of God, even if I struggle to understand what he does sometimes or why he allows certain things to happen.

v.5
"I will soon show you that I do what is right. I will soon save you."

That's his promise to me. I am already saved and he continues to save me from myself.