Isaiah 65:¹⁹ I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress.

Isaiah was writing in a time when God’s people were in exile in Babylon. The verse was written in the future tense, “I will rejoice”… “no more shall the sound of weeping be heard”. It’s in the future tense because it did not reflect their current reality which was one of bondage and pain and loss. It was a promise of what would come in God’s time.

We’re in a terrible season right now as the coronavirus continues to spread, making people sick or worse. How long will it last? We don’t know. Will I get sick? Will you get sick? We don’t know. But we do know this too shall pass. The fear and anxiety and distress will subside. There will again be smiles and laughter and joy as we embrace friends and loved ones. It will get better.

But for now, we wait. Lord have mercy. Amen.