Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song, for the Lord has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has demonstrated his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God. Isaiah 52:9
Think about the great ruins of the world—the Pyramids of Egypt or Stonehenge in England. Ruins make us stop and wonder, what happened here?
“We are so often drawn to the sight of what is broken, damaged and decayed,” [1] writes a noted professor who wrote a book about our fascination with ancient ruins. But what if it’s your life that lies in ruins all around you? Despair, not wonder, is the place we go when our hopes and dreams have crumbled. If you’re sitting in the dusty ruins of your life today, God has a message for you: He’s right there with you.
In ancient times, God’s people turned away from Him. The city of Jerusalem was in ruins and its people taken into captivity. In the Bible book written by the prophet Isaiah, God declares His desire to restore. He speaks to us in our brokenness as He spoke to His people saying: You’re in the dust (v.2). You got there because of your choices (v.4) but come to your senses, turn toward Me and you’ll hear my voice (v.6). “I will reveal my name to my people,” God says, “and they will come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that I am the one who speaks to them” (v.6). When God speaks to lives in ruins, He says, “I, yes I, am the one who comforts you” (Isaiah 51:12) He also says that He will go ahead of you in the rebuilding (Isaiah 52:12).
And then the beauty rushes in. As Isaiah wrote, “Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song, for the Lord has comforted his people” (Isaiah 52:9).
God waits for us to turn to Him in the ruins we’ve made of our lives. He longs to work beautifully in your life today. There is redemption available to you in your ruins.
[1] Roth, Michael S. “Review | What Ruins Can Teach Us about Beauty and Decay.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 7 Feb. 2020, washingtonpost.com/outlook/what-ruins-can-teach-us-about-beauty-and-decay/2020/02/06/1f26cb98-3e3b-11ea-8872-5df698785a4e_story.html
