Isaiah 42:16

Thought

The people of Israel are in a place of uncertainty, they’re lost, they’re exiled and have no idea of how they’re going to get out of their situation, it would have looked dire, unknown, but in their place of unknowing, God offers to take them on a journey if they’ll follow. He hasn’t given up on them in their ‘blindness’, they had closed their eyes to their God and wandered far away, God is offering to lead them back to Him. He hasn’t forsaken them.

Looking at this verse in context though, it’s a wonderful promise that the God of the Jews will be known by ‘the blind’ - us, those who aren’t Jewish and weren’t brought up to know God and His wonderful love for us. He’s not forgotten those who aren’t His ‘chosen people’ because He wants us all as His chosen people.

In our lives, a lot of unknown can and does happen but God is with us in our blindness, our uncertainty, our exiles, those times we turn away from Him, He will take us ‘by the hand’ in those times of uncertainty, lostness.

God doesn’t promise us an easy life, there will be ‘rough places’, but He promises to be there with us, soothing us, loving us, taking us by the hand in those times. Taking us ‘by the hand’ is quite an intimate act. He won’t lead us from afar, He’ll come up close because that’s His nature. He cares about us, our uncertainty, He wants to know about it and He wants us to know that He is there with us in those times.

Application

If you’re going through a time of blindness, roughness, darkness, pray the prayer below, ask God to be with you and look our for where He might be talking to you - it could be through nature, art, music, something you’re reading, something a friend says.

Prayer

Thank you Father that you are with me in my times of blindness, uncertainty and when the road is rough, please help turn the darkness into light and make the rough ground smooth - thank you that you take me by the hand and walk with me in those times.