Isaiah 57:17-21: a reflection

17I was angry because of the iniquity of his covetousness and struck him. I hid myself and was angry; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. 18I have seen his ways, and will heal him. I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners. 19I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near,” says the LORD; “and I will heal them.” 20But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can’t rest and its waters cast up mire and mud. 21“There is no peace”, says my God, “for the wicked.”

Even after his people's persistent turning away, God speaks a word not of final rejection but of healing: I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will restore comfort to him. I was angry, God says, and struck him for his sin; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him. I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him. Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near; and I will heal them. God's people had turned from him and kept backsliding, going their own way. God had been displeased, even in his discipline. But God's word does not end in rejection; it turns to healing: I have seen his ways, and will heal him. God, who saw his people's wandering, does not abandon them, but promises to heal, lead, and restore comfort, giving peace to the far and the near. This shows God's grace to heal and restore the one who has strayed. God heals and restores the one who has strayed, rather than abandoning him. Even after persistent backsliding, God's word turns to healing. God gives peace to the far and the near, and will heal them. Do not think your wandering has put you beyond God's healing grace.

Notice the turn in God's word, from anger to healing. God is candid about the situation: his people had sinned, turned from him, and gone on backsliding, following their own way; and God had been displeased, even disciplining them. Given this, we might expect a word of final rejection. But instead, God's word turns remarkably to healing: I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will lead him, and restore comfort to him and to his mourners. God, who has seen all his people's wandering, does not respond with abandonment, but with grace: he will heal them, lead them, restore their comfort, and give peace, peace to the far off and the near. This reveals the depth of God's grace toward those who have strayed. We can wander from God, turn away, keep backsliding in our own way, and, aware of this, fear that we have put ourselves beyond his grace, that his only word to us now could be rejection. But God's word here is otherwise: he sees our ways, and yet will heal, lead, and restore. God does not abandon the one who has strayed; his grace reaches to heal and restore even the wanderer, offering peace. Our wandering, real as it is, has not put us beyond God's healing grace; he offers healing and peace even to those who have gone far off. We do well to return to the God who heals and restores the one who has strayed, trusting that his grace reaches even to us. Return to the God who heals and restores the one who has strayed, not abandoning him. Your wandering has not put you beyond God's healing grace. God offers healing and peace even to those who have gone far off. Do not fear that only rejection awaits you; God's word turns to healing.

That is worth taking to heart, for God heals and restores the one who has strayed, offering peace even to the far off, and we do well to return to him, as God's word turned to healing. We can fear our wandering has put us beyond God's grace; but God, seeing his people's backsliding, promised not rejection but to heal, lead, and restore them. Grace reaches you. When you have wandered far and fear only rejection, do not despair; God heals and restores the one who has strayed, offering peace even to the far off. Return to the God who heals and restores the one who has strayed, offering peace to the far off and the near, trusting that your wandering has not put you beyond his healing grace, as even after his people's persistent turning away God spoke a word not of final rejection but of healing, saying that though he had been angry and struck them for their sin and they had gone on backsliding in the way of their heart, he had seen their ways and would heal them, lead them, and restore comfort, giving peace to the far and the near; for God's people had turned from him and kept backsliding, and God had been displeased even in his discipline, but his word does not end in rejection but turns to healing, since God who saw his people's wandering does not abandon them but promises to heal, lead, and restore comfort and give peace, which reveals the depth of God's grace toward those who have strayed, since we can wander from God and keep backsliding in our own way and, aware of this, fear that we have put ourselves beyond his grace and that his only word to us now could be rejection, but God's word here is otherwise, that he sees our ways and yet will heal, lead, and restore, not abandoning the one who has strayed but reaching to heal and restore even the wanderer and offering peace, so that our wandering has not put us beyond his healing grace, and we do well to return to him.

Lord, even after your people's persistent turning away, you speak a word not of final rejection but of healing: I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will restore comfort to him. I was angry, you say, and struck him for his sin; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him. I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him. Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near; and I will heal them. Your people had turned from you and kept backsliding, going their own way. You had been displeased, even in your discipline. But your word does not end in rejection; it turns to healing: I have seen his ways, and will heal him. You, who saw your people's wandering, do not abandon them, but promise to heal, lead, and restore comfort, giving peace to the far and the near. Show me the turn in your word, from anger to healing. You are candid about the situation: your people had sinned, turned from you, and gone on backsliding; and you had been displeased, even disciplining them. Given this, I might expect a word of final rejection. But instead, your word turns remarkably to healing: I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will lead him, and restore comfort to him. You, who have seen all my wandering, do not respond with abandonment, but with grace: you will heal, lead, restore comfort, and give peace to the far off and the near. This reveals the depth of your grace toward those who have strayed. I can wander from you, turn away, keep backsliding in my own way, and, aware of this, fear that I have put myself beyond your grace, that your only word to me now could be rejection. But your word here is otherwise: you see my ways, and yet will heal, lead, and restore. My wandering, real as it is, has not put me beyond your healing grace. Take that to my heart. When I have wandered far and fear only rejection, keep me from despair; help me return to you, Lord, who heal and restore the one who has strayed, offering peace to the far off, trusting that my wandering has not put me beyond your healing grace, but that your word turns to healing.