something radiant

for the LORD comforts zion;
he comforts all her waste places
and makes her wilderness like eden,
her desert like the garden of the LORD;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the voice of song (isaiah 51:3).

God is the only one who can take what is hopeless and desolate and transform it into something radiant.

and I have put my words in your mouth
and covered you in the shadow of my hand,
establishing the heavens
and laying the foundations of the earth,
and saying to zion, "you are my people" (isaiah 51:16).

the balance of God's supremacy and His love is astounding -- that He created the earth and all that sustains it, yet He would still stoop down and love us, setting us apart and promising comfort for us in the midst of our trials. we are indescribably unworthy of God's attention, yet He cradles our lives in His hands and wants to fill us with joy and with singing, because He loves us so much.