The Lord Gives Us Hope for the Future - What She Said Part 14 - Week 1 Day 6

TODAY'S TREASURE

And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58:11

Transcript

The Lord Gives Us Hope for the Future

Marissa Bondurant, Guest Writer

Today’s Treasure

And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58:11

Often, a season of caregiving begins with a difficult diagnosis for a loved one. In a moment, or perhaps slowly over the years, you see something that was good become unrecognizable. Whether it is the expectations you had for a child that you now know will have a very different life or watching your parent go from capable to dependent. There is an element of something good being wiped away. Just as a wildfire can decimate a beautiful landscape, so too can a diagnosis scorch both your loved one and the life you knew. 

In Isaiah 58:11, God is talking to the Israelites who were in a bad place. They were in Babylonian captivity. They were living in sin and hypocrisy. Things weren’t looking good. Yet, God offers them promises for a glorious future. These promises weren’t based on the righteousness of God’s people but on the grace and faithfulness of our perfect God. In our dry and weary places, we too can hold to these grace-based promises. 

• First, God promises to “guide you continually”. It is not an accident that you are here. You didn’t make a wrong turn or upset the Lord. He purposefully led you here and is continually guiding you through.

• Second, God promises to “satisfy your desire” in these places and “make your bones strong”. Your needs will be met. It can be tempting to follow the wisdom of the age that says we need to care for ourselves, prioritize boundaries, and live to accomplish our own goals. But God promises that he will satisfy us. He will care for us even as our boundaries are crossed by needy loved ones, and our own strength is depleted as we care for another.

• Lastly, God promises to make you “like a watered garden”, and “like a spring whose waters do not fail”. God says that He will transform this scorched land and create beauty from the ashes. Not only that, but He will make you a refreshment for others who find themselves in a similar wasteland. If you haven’t experienced it already, I bet someday a new caregiver will ask you, “How did you make it through?”. As you press into Jesus and allow Him to care for you, you will become a source of encouragement to others. 

These promises mean that the Lord is with you, whether you’re refilling a prescription, repeating a conversation, keeping vigil by the bedside, or advocating for better care. He is guiding you, sustaining you, and transforming you. This season may feel like a wasteland, but keep your eyes open, notice the ways God is caring for you, and know that you will be restored.

LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT

What have you and your loved one lost because of his/her diagnosis? Take a moment to grieve those things. Then, think about how you’ve seen the Lord guide, satisfy, and restore you in this season. If you can’t list those things yet…spend the time asking God to do that work and to show you His faithfulness. 

PRAYER

Lord, the caregiving terrain can look pretty desolate some days. I need Your sustaining grace to help me see the ways You are caring for me. I need help trusting Your faithfulness. And I need the Holy Spirit to help me look toward a future that is like a garden full of bright flowers, sweet fruit trees, and a babbling brook. Help me trust that I will experience divine restoration! In Jesus Name. Amen.