Isaiah 59:1

Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.

It is very easy to be discouraged in our Christian walk. We start off after baptism with a clean new slate, knowing that our sin has been removed from our lives. We are excited, ready to be righteous in every aspect of our new life. However, we start getting downtrodden. The first sin comes, and we try to shake it off. Hopefully we get right back on the saddle and start fresh again. However, from time to time we may get bogged down in a particular sin or pattern of sin.

When we get bogged down in sin, it can be hard to turn back to God. We may think that we have committed such an evil sin that God could not or would not forgive us. Yet Isaiah is trying to convince the people of Israel that no such problem exists. The only thing that can keep them separated from God is their sin and their refusal to repent from it. God has the ability to save us from anything. That includes ourselves. God can save us from any sin, and His Son dying on the cross is proof of that.

It can be very hard after we sin to go and pray to the Lord. Our sin creates a distance between us and Him, and sometimes it even feels tangible. We feel God would not want to hear from us. Yet it is a mistake to think that. What God wants is for us to come to Him with a humble and contrite spirit. When we do that, He does hear us. He wants to forgive us. We must go before Him and ask for forgiveness. If we do so, His ears hear us, and His arm is extended to save us: Praise the Lord!

Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.