The prophet Isaiah is giving a vision of an ideal life situation. A time when there is no want, no pain, and life is long. It is a time when everyone can enjoy the fruits of their labor. This is a gift from God. He wants us to have a full and happy life.

God is offering hope to the people of Israel. This passage presents the promise in rich images. Everyone will enjoy abundance in their own homes. It talks of a "new heaven and a new earth." This age will be a time for rejoicing and all sorrow will be no more. We can look forward to a time like this.

An Opportunity to Testify (Luke 21:5–19)

This story begins with some one admiring the Temple in Jerusalem. Then Christ delivers a prophecy about the destruction of the very same building. Immediately someone wants to know the details. The first question is, "...Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?" (Luke 21:7 NRSV). We all want to know the details. The bookstores are full of books that claim to be able to tell us what the future will be.

Christ's answer is anything but specific. He even warns against listening to "false prophets". To have true faith we must live each day the very best we can without specific knowledge of what tomorrow will bring. We need to worry about doing the work of the church and not worry about future.

Christ tells the disciples that they will face some very hard times but that it will be a time to be examples. He says, "But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify." (Luke 21:12-13 NRSV). When adversity comes it gives us a chance to live out our faith in a way that is an example to those around us.

When we face hard times we can react in many ways. We can yell and scream and be very bitter, or we can face the hardship as Christ would. This does not mean that we try to cover our disappointment or our grief, we just need to be sure that we are not overcome by them. We testify to our faith more by our actions than by our words.