Endowed with Splendor

In the bible study I’ve been participating in, the author encouraged readers to watch for phrases to jump out when reading passages of scripture. I am often amazed at how I can read the same passage days, weeks, months or years apart, and something different will speak to me each time.

I was doing my lesson after lunch a couple of weeks ago. The kids had gone to play and it was just the baby and I. The table had been hastily cleaned by one of the kids. There were toys strewn around the room. The baby was showering me with baby food via her favorite noise-making skill, the raspberry. It had been one of those mornings where I had already changed an above-normal amount of poopy diapers and the diapers weren’t even the worst part. The worst was the soiled underpants from the potty-almost-trained toddler. In that moment, I found myself torn between having to wash them out and just buying another pack. This time my frugal side won out – much to my nose’s dismay.

So, I was feeling a bit worn-out and drab. That’s probably why this passage practically leapt off the page. We were reading in Isaiah chapter 55. It’s a great passage that includes some oft-quoted verses. I’ve included it in it’s entirety and I’ve highlighted the phrase that caught my eye on that particular day.

Isaiah 55

Invitation to the Thirsty

1 “Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.

2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

3 Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.

4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of the peoples.

5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
because of the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.“

6 Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.

7 Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.

9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.

13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the LORD’s renown,
for an everlasting sign,
which will not be destroyed.”

After reading that, I sat a little taller in my chair. That the Holy One, the Lord my God, has endowed me with splendor, kind of blew me away. It’s one of those things I knew, but sometimes have to be reminded of.

This is in the NIV. In other translations it’s stated ‘he has made you glorious’ or he has ‘honored you’, but I love this one – the words just sound so elegant.

I looked up endowed and splendor:

Endowed – to equip or supply with a talent or a quality

Splendor – grandeur, glory or brilliant distinction

So next time the day-to-day has you feeling a little less than wonderful, just remember that the Lord your God has supplied you with glory. He has equipped you with brilliant distinction. He has endowed you with splendor.

(On a side note – I have to say that I also love verse 12, which says that all the trees of the field will clap their hands. I’m looking forward to seeing that. )