Crisis ConvertedSample

Theme: New Birth

Crisis Converted Then:

There are three stark images of newness in this passage. The first is actually introduced in the final line of v. 9. God is declaring new things. There is a new message for the people. Second, the prophet introduces a new song that all creation on every mountain and in every town sings together. Finally, whereas God has been silent, he is now described like a mother giving birth to something new (v. 14). The hope isn’t simply a reestablishment of the old order, but a birth of new life. 

Crisis Converted Now:

The balance of pain and joy is so clearly evident in a woman in labor. Of course, mothers know this intimately, but others of us witness this balance from a (safe) distance. God uses this imagery to describe what he is doing in the world. God’s work of creating new life is a balance of pain and joy. How have you experienced this balance in your life?