In that day you will say: “I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say, “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.” Isaiah 12:1-5
Praise the God of Our Salvation
What the prophet Isaiah is trying to explain in our Bible reading today is difficult to put into words. He is a sinner standing in the presence of a righteous God. He knows that he deserves God’s anger and punishment. But something startling happens. God turns away his anger. Instead of punishing him, God rescues him.
Of course, Isaiah is talking about what God does for us in Jesus Christ. Jesus bore the punishment for our sin, and now, instead of facing God’s anger, we have full forgiveness and life everlasting. How does one express the amazing relief of that enormous load being lifted off and the sheer joy of that forgiveness?
Expressing heartfelt thanks to God for his salvation is what Isaiah is doing. You can almost see him running up and down the streets, leaping for joy, trying to tell people how it feels to be saved. Fear is gone, only trust remains. The Lord is the true strength of his life and the song in his heart. So, he gives thanks to the Lord by singing his praises and proclaiming the good news of salvation to everyone.
Listen to Isaiah shouting and singing for joy and join him in praising the God of your salvation.
Prayer:
Thank you, Lord, for saving me from my sins. It proves that I can trust in you and not be afraid. Amen.
