i, i am he who comforts you;
who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,
of the son of man who is made like grass,
[isaiah 51:12]
as i write this i am sitting in the hospital with my wife as we await the birth of our new little girl. as we are filled with all sorts of emotions such as excitement, anxiety, love, fear, and more, i realize how little control i have. i have no control over this new little baby’s life, and i have no control over my wife’s life. i have no control over any of our futures, and i have no idea what will happen in the coming weeks with my family, work, health, friends, or anything else.
my tendency is to strive to control everything myself. to research and make good decisions that i know will turn out well. and though there is plenty of wisdom in stewarding things in our lives well and seeking wisdom, it becomes sinful when it transitions to trust in myself instead of trust in the Lord.
the question in the verse cuts quickly to the heart: who are you that you are afraid of man?
it’s natural for us to fear at times, but the question is, what will we do with that fear?
will we try and solve our problems and fears on our own, or take them to the sovereign king of the universe?
for he says, “I, I am he who comforts you.”
may we go to the God of all comfort today.
amen.
~ john sandman