I recently read a verse that made me pause, re-read, and consider because the verse felt like a hug. It was the kind of thing you read at just the right time, in just the right place, and it was so comforting for me at that moment. The verse is Isaiah 54:10, and it reads,
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord who has compassion on you.”
I think this was so comforting because when we face destruction and disaster, don’t we normally focus on the mountains crumbling and forget about the promises God has made? I know I do. I like to keep my focus on what I will refer to as the “pre-yet” when I should be focused on the “post-yet” promises. So, I did a little more research on the verse that stopped me in my tracks…
PRE-YET
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed…” Isaiah 54:10a
This is an odd statement because mountains are seemingly some of the most sturdy, strong, and immovable structures on the planet. This verse, though, says that they will be shaken and removed. Earlier in Isaiah 51:6, we are told that “the earth will wear out like a garment.” The world, including these magnificent mountains, is perishing, unstable, and ever-changing. There is actually a scientific term for this called entropy. It is a thermodynamic property that serves as a measure of perfect internal disorder. Basically, the earth and its inhabitants are constantly changing and moving towards a state of disorder and chaos.
I don’t know about you, but I hate disorder and chaos. I especially hate a change in my routine. But these things are inevitable. I mean, right after I was getting back into my routine at work after Christmas, we were stuck at home, unable to leave the mountain for four days. I am now getting back into my routine, but I am about to have a baby so that routine will change again. Things at work change often. It is endless. Things are shaken up and changed. Comfort and routine are removed. Ultimately, we live in a perishing world, so, of course, everything cannot stay the same.
The bright side to this disorder is that Jesus knows what it is like to live in this world of change, pain, disorder, and brokenness. He came down to live here and knows what this earth is like first-hand. He is more than just an almighty God. He is also all-knowing and has experienced the mortality and vulnerability of living on this earth. We are good at focusing on that when the mountains are crumbling; it is all we can see…
POST-YET
“Yet, my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:10b
This is where the destruction, chaos, and brokenness meet comfort, love, and peace. The “unfailing love” that this verse speaks of is not necessarily what we always consider when we think of love. Unfailing has many meanings, like a curtain, constant, reliable, and without end. We often think of love as intimate or physical. But in this context, unfailing means that His love is not dependent on my thoughts or actions (PRAISE GOD) but that it is reliable and consistent
regardless of my mistakes. The “love” mentioned in this particular verse translates in Greek to “vechasdi” meaning “lovekindness”. This is goodness, kindness, and grace. He meets this disorder we just talked about with His amazing goodness, the chaos with His perfect kindness, and the brokenness with His abundant grace. This unfailing lovekindness will not be shaken like the mountains; it is not finite or disorderly, but it is PERFECT, and it is FOR YOU.
The next beautiful part about the post-yet states, “nor my covenant of peace be removed.” He makes us this promise, and the promise is everlasting and will not be removed like the hills. He sealed this covenant on the cross that we can now have, as sinful people with numerous failures, the peace God provides. Biblically, the definition of peace here means to be complete or have a right relationship or harmony between two parties or people. In a failing world full of broken relationships and a lack of peace in homes, churches, politics, and globally, God’s promise of HIS PEACE will not be removed. In this struggling, crumbling world, God brings peace, promises peace, and completes peace. We just get to be grateful participants.
The final part of the verse states, “says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” All of this “post-yet goodness” doesn’t hinge on us but on Him. We can not do anything to earn the LOVE and PEACE, nor are we able to. As much as I want to have total control over the routines and situations in my life, the comfort in the destruction comes from the Lord, who keeps His promises every time. My relationship with him can only be screwed up by my lack of participation in the relationship and willingness to give up control to Him. The compassion He gives us here means He is sharing in our sufferings. His empathy and comfort in the pain are freely and tenderly given. Compassion is hard to find and difficult to give as humans sometimes, but God has compassion on us in the times when the seemingly immovable comes crashing down, and we are surrounded by disorder and chaos…
Do you see why the “post-yet” felt like a hug? He is a peaceful, loving, and compassionate Father who keeps His promises when the world is crashing down around us. Let’s embrace the promises of the post-yet and keep our eyes focused on Him during the disorder and chaos. Feel the warmth and peace of that hug that allows us to breathe again when we feel like we are holding our breath for that next bad thing to happen.
I think that Alexander Maclaren summed this up best in his commentary:
“Let the mountains crumble, and the hills melt away, beyond the smoke and conflagration, and rising high above destruction and chaos stands the calm throne of God with a loving heart upon it, with a council of peace and purpose for you and for me…”
Kristie Fowler
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#kristiefowlerblogs