“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”
I have recently come across a few stories about individuals that were convicted and sentenced for a crime that they did not commit. For one reason or another, they were found guilty…whether through false testimony or incorrect evidence. They were thrown into a jail cell, anticipating spending a good portion of their remaining life behind bars, for a crime they did not commit. Years after being convicted, new evidence revealed their innocence. That would be an incredibly hard pill to swallow. I try to imagine what that must be like…what must be going through that persons head. Is there anything positive about their assigned future? Can they find anything good about the days ahead or do they simply fall into a perpetual state of despair? I can come up with hundreds of things that would change in their lives…hundreds of things that they would lose, things that they would have to leave on the outside. But I can only come up with one thing that could remain completely unchanged…one thing that would remain perfectly constant from their life on the outside to their life on the inside. One thing that would remain unaltered from time, age, status, or reputation. That one thing is the love of the Lord…and I have to think that this alone would be the only hope a person could cling to in such a terrifying situation. I think it’s safe to say that none of us will ever experience anything like a wrongful conviction. No, most of us will instead face much “easier” conflicts in our lives…but they will be conflicts none the less…and there will be opportunity to lose hope, drop our heads, and sink into misery. But thankfully there is hope…as the text states above in Isaiah. God goes with us through everything…absolutely everything…highs and lows. And not only does he accompany us, but he also gives us strength, direction, and hope. So whether we are dealing with something regularly mundane or something incredibly terrifying, may we always cling to the hope found in the Lord…trusting that he will go with us, he will give us strength, and he will shine a light through the darkness. Our Lord is faithful and he will never give up on us as long as we call out to him. To God be the glory!
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