Isaiah 40:1–2

“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem (God’s people). Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. 

Genesis 16:11

And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress. 

Genesis 16:13

She said, “You are the God who sees me.” 

Isaiah 40:31

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. 

Isaiah 40:6–7

 . . . “Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord. 

• Exodus from Egypt—God saves and liberates His people
• Return from Exile—God heals and renews His people

Isaiah 40:7-8

The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord. And so it is with people. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” 

The great Christian revolutions come not by the discovery of something that was not known before. They happen when somebody takes radically something that was always there.

- H. Richard Niebuhr

Isaiah 40:9

O Zion, messenger of good news, shout from the mountaintops! Shout it louder, O Jerusalem. Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming!” 

Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

The Word of God serves not merely as a revelation of human weaknesses but as a remedy for them.

Lift up your voice.

Isaiah 40:10   

Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. 

Psalm 56:8

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. 

Isaiah 41:13

For, I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. 

Matthew 10:30–31

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. 

John 10:11

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 

Isaiah 40:11

He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. 

• What a message—God’s word stands forever.
• What a mission—Lift up your voice and shout.

What we need now is a true conversion, not merely of individuals but of the Church itself. We must begin to realize how revolutionary the Christian convictions really are. If God exists; and if He is anything like Jesus Christ; and if each person is made in His image, then what we have is a worldview more revolutionary than . . .  any other system which claims to change the world. The trouble lies not in our theology, but in our failure to comprehend its ramifications. 

- Elton Trueblood