This reading is the whole of Isaiah chapter 12. It is a
beautiful little piece of praise that looks ahead to the day of God’s
salvation. Ultimately, this reading finds fulfillment in the salvation Jesus has
won for us as God turned his wrath away from us and onto him. It also looks
ahead to when Jesus will return as our resurrected Lord to secure us in eternal
life when we will no longer sin, struggle, or die.
What will be do then?
We will sing God’s praises with all of our heart and
strength. We will praise the Lord in song and shout aloud for joy, because God
himself is in our midst to save us.
When you come to church on Sunday, you might want to keep
verse 3 in mind: with joy you will draw
water from the wells of salvation. That is what we come to do, to receive salvation
from God once again. And, once again, he will deliver. We remember the
salvation we received through the waters of baptism as we gather in the Name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. We receive salvation as the
pastor pronounces forgiveness for all of our sins. We even receive salvation as
we gather at the altar to be fed with the body and blood of Christ – the Lamb
of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Have you ever thought about receiving salvation? Not just
being forgiven or restored, but actually being saved? How might remembering your
salvation affect your attitude and focus in worship?
O LORD,
you have turned your wrath away from us and comforted us. You have won our
salvation through Jesus’ sacrifice. Thank you! Thank you for saving us from sin
and death, from the devil and all evil, even from our own sinful natures. Move
our hearts to rejoice in your salvation. Lead us to sing for joy and even to
shout your praises, for you are, indeed, great in our midst. Amen.
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