I want you to listen to the way Isaiah 40 begins… and then I want you to hear the way the passage ends – when he’s announcing and prophecying the bith of Jesus, this is how Isaiah begins and ends the passage – “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. …7 The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord. And so it is with people. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”
The passage starts by saying, “HEY, EVERYBODY LONGING FOR STUFF! I’VE GOT COMFORT FOR YOU!!” and then it ends with, “WE’RE ALL GONNA WITHER, SHRIVEL, FADE, AND DIE!!!” How exactly is that comforting?!?! Even in the middle of the passage – v. 6 says 6 A voice said, “Shout!” I asked, “What should I shout?” What do you want me yelling about?? This doesn’t seem comforting ATL ALL!! In fact, it’s kind of the opposite! This seems terrible! How is the fact that we wither and fade COMFORTING!!!!!?????
It's comforting because God knows. How is it comforting to have longings in me that are unfulfilled? It’s comforting because God sees them and speaks to them. How is it comforting that whether it’s today, or tomorrow, or next week, or 50 years from now that my life is going to end and that you can be going along fine in your week and then something can come completely out of the blue and cut you down like a lawnmower cuts the grass?
God says, the comfort isn’t in the cutting. The comfort is in the connection. He says, you’re right – people do wither. People do fade. But I don’t. And now I’ve made a way for you to stay connected not to the withery, fady stuff – I’ve made a way for you to be connected to me. The Word of the Lord stands forever – Jesus is the Word made flesh – His Spirit is the breath of life – they stand forever. So, listen to me – as you fade out guess what else fades out? Longing fades out into fulfillment. Desire fades out into purpose. Hurt fades out into healing. Anxiety fades out into hope. Depression fades out into victory. Disconnection fades out into intimacy.
How are longings fulfilled at Christmas? They’re fulfilled in you learning to trust the fade. You need to let go of yourself and all the ways you try to fulfill longings outside of Him, and trust Him with everything you are, everywhere you go, and in everything you do.
You know, when I was laying there in that bed – you know what I wasn’t thinking? I wasn’t thinking, “Man alive… I’m sure glad I acquired enough stuff in my life… I sure wish I would have visited Australia… I always wanted to visit Australia… I sure wish I made more money… I just wish I could have driven a newer car… I’m sure glad I successfully avoided my problems all the way to the end… Man, I sure had everyone fooled. I had so much stuff, and I had so many experiences – that’s how you know I had a full life – by what I had and what I did.” Nobody thinks that when they’re laying in that bed. Nobody does.
You know what I was thinking? I was thinking, “My kids – my family – my friends – Did I love them well enough… Did I get enough of my blockages out of the way that even if this is where I fade out – would they know… I trusted God enough to allow myself to be loved so he could get it through me to them?
That’s Isaiah 40 – that those in the hospital bed can take comfort – you’re never in the room alone. I’m never in a relationship alone. I’m never in church alone. I’m never at a family gathering alone. I never face an addiction alone. I never face a problem alone. I never have a longing alone. My comfort is in my ability to fade. Because the more I fade out, the more He fades in. And I know I am someday going to lay on a bed like the one I was in on Thursday, and all that’s going to matter – all that’s going to matter – is was did I find real the only real comfort??
Jesus says that the one who loses his life will find it – that’s what Jesus came to do and to show us how to do – I’m only fine because God was urgent about my separation from Him when I wasn’t.
You know what my comfort is? My comfort is that in learning to trust God enough to allow myself to fade out and Him to fade in, I will become more of myself than I ever could on my own. I’ll know more love in Him than outside of Him. I’ll know more rest in Him than I will without Him. I will know more peace and happiness and joy and intimacy and purpose… laying on that bed… if I trust that my comfort… is in the fade.
Can I ask you? What’s swelling up in your spirit today that it’s time you had looked at? Why aren’t you urgent about it? Why are you doing what I did – telling everyone you feel fine and you don’t need to be seen… when that blockage, that longing, is killing you?
Embrace the fade. Lean into it. Those longings you have running around in you – those aren’t bad things. They’re just reminders that hey – you’re not going to fulfill those on your own. So you can stop pretending… You can stop being scared of facing them… You can stop avoiding them, telling everyone you’re fine when you’re not – God knows you’re not…
That’s why there’s comfort at Christmas – because even though it feels like you’re in that dark room knowing your blockage but not knowing how to treat it – reminded that your life is fragile… there’s a light that has overcome the darkness that isn’t fragile at all – it’s already at work in you – and it’s so strong. And so bright. It fades out the darkness and brings perspective, it brings peace… It brings love and it brings joy. You’re lucky you came in today…