Last night at mass, the first reading was from the book of Isaiah. It was one of the suffering servant songs that appears in the book of Isaiah. (Is 53:10-11) My pastor's homily talked a little about the suffering servant songs, and it got me curious. This morning I read all four of the suffering servant songs in Isaiah. (Is 42:1-4, Is 49:1-7, Is 50:4-11, Is 52:13-53:12) Reading these poems gave me a much better perspective on my current workload.
It is really easy to get down on oneself during times of exhaustion and great stress. If we look on these times with the eyes of the suffering servant, we realize that we are specifically called by God to be his instrument. (Is 49:1-2) We also realize that being God's servant entails a lot of work without reward, and possibly suffering (Is 49:4). The end of Is 49:4 gives us insight into our reward:
Yet my reward is with the Lord, my recompense is with my God.
These passages from Isaiah give me hope during this stressful time. The servant songs remind me that I was specifically created by God for a special purpose. Even though I may not see the fruits of my labor, my reward will be with God. I just have to trust Him.
