It is difficult to sing when we are suffering or when our life has collapsed. The world can look very dark, sad, and hopeless. That is what the people of Israel were experiencing during their exile. But Isaiah gives them a promise in this song of redemption: be brave and patient, have faith and hope, and you will not be sorry. God has not forgotten you - the day will come when you will once again feel safe, secure, happy, and at peace. We need to hear this message many times in our life. Even when we are in pain and the future does not seem very bright, God is with us. Patience, faith, and hope - we will meet our God.

It is easy to cry 'Lord, Lord!' And who doesn't? It is so easy to engage in a lot of religious talk or to go through the motions of being religious. But it is not enough to hear the words of the Lord - we must act on them. Our faith is not about 'being saved' but being transformed. If we merely hear the words, the first time we face struggle or adversity we will collapse like the house in the story. When we face struggle we find out what we are really made of. But if we have put the Lord's words into practice, we become a changed person. We will have far more strength and courage than we imagined and we will be able to face anything. Remember: the words of the Lord are made for living.