Isaiah 59, 60

Sin, Confession and Redemption1. Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. 3. For your hands are stained wiht blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things. 4. No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil. 5. They hatch the eggs of vipers and spin a spider's web. Whoever eats thier eggs will ide, and when one is broken, an adder is hatched. 6. Their cobwebs are useless for clothing; they cannot cover themselves with that they make. Their deeds are evil deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands. 7. Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. They pursue evil schemes; acts of violence mark their ways. 8. The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks along them will kow peace. 9. So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. 10. Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead. 11. We all growl like bears; we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice, but find none; for delivrance, but it is far away. 12. For our ofenses are many in your wight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities: 13. Rebellion and treachery against the LORD, turning our backs on our God, inciting revolt and oppression, uttering lies our hearts have conceived. 14. So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. 15. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there no no justice. 16. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so he own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak,18. According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands thier due. 19. From the west, people will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up food that the breath of the LORD drives along. 20. "The Redeemer will come to Zion, to thsoe in Jacob who repent of their sins," declars the LORD. 21. "As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants-from this time on and forever," says the LORD.  1, "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD ruses upon you. 2. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4. "Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip. 5. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to your the riches of the naiotns will come. 6. Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD. 7. All Kedar's flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will adorn my glorious temple.8. "Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests? 9. Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your children from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel ,for he has endowed you with splendor.10. "Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion. 11. Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations-their kings led in triumphal procession.12. For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined. 13. "The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the juniper, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn my sanctuary; and I will glorify the place for my feet. 14. The children of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.15. "Although you have been forsaked and hated, with no one traveling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations.16. You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. 17. Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and well-being your ruler. 18. No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. 19. The sun will no more be your light by day nor will the brighteness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.20. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.21. Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. 22. The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly." He who wants to bless us beyond our desire and imagination declares that he is the LORD, and in its time He shall do them swiftly. It is normal not to fully understand what God is doing. He is a God and we are humans. His creations. But we believe that He is our LORD and therefore all will come well in the end based on His love and grace. When things get rough, that's part of the process. When things seem tangled up, it's actually being untangled. Faith and peace shall always abide with me so that the LORD can work and I can pray.