Instead Of Thorns...

Isaiah 55 highlights the compassionate love of God for the worn out, sinful, idolatrous people of Israel.. They had failed God miserably, yet God calls them to return to Him.. to SEEK Him while He may be found. God doesn't operate the way that we do...verses 8 - 9 explain God's ways, thoughts, and love are higher ... greater.. than man's.... verse 13 contains a great promise for His people... Instead of thorns, God will give cypress... Instead of briers, a myrtle... wonderful plants and trees instead of the thorns and briers brought into the world by Adam's (and our) sin (Genesis 3:17)... God in His glorious compassion offers us the same promise as well... Seek the Lord... Call upon Him... He will take the thorns and briers our sins have caused and through the death of His Son, make beautiful, life - giving trees reflecting His glory... Abundant pardon and forgiveness is found there... 

“Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
“For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the LORD,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
  (Isaiah 55:6-13 ESV)