In Isaiah 24, the prophet paints a picture of the world being emptied out. Every part of life is impacted. It sounds dramatic because it's supposed to be. Anyone who has lived through loss, severe illness, conflict, or change knows what it feels like when the life you knew begins to crumble. Something happens that teaches us how little control we truly have.
For the people Isaiah spoke to, this disruption would be felt by everyone. There would be no escaping the emptiness brought on by the people's failing to keep their covenant with God. But even that dramatic scene would not be the end of God's work. The devastation Isaiah envisioned was also an invitation.
The prophet reminds us that there are things God longs to empty from us. There is our fear that keeps us from knowing the abundance of God. Our pride keeps us distant from God's grace. We have habits that dull our compassion and numb our awareness of God's presence. We hold on to things that keep us from growing.
When these things begin to shake, it can feel like punishment. Sometimes, it may be. But often it's grace in disguise. God is clearing space in our hearts and lives for something truer.
And what God does in individuals, God also does in our faith communities. Churches can cling to things that have stopped giving life. Sometimes, the Spirit disrupts our normal so we can see what our normal has been hiding. When God empties a community, it's not to leave us forsaken. It's to free us from whatever keeps us from loving well. 
So, Isaiah's vision is not just one of judgement. In it we can see God's renewal as well. The coming emptiness was not to be the end, but the preparation for what is next because God can always work in the rubble of our life.
Reflect on what God might be emptying in you or in your church. Whatever it is, trust that God only clears what God intends to fill with new, abundant life.
Stay blessed...john | 
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