The Twilight I Longed For by Kathi Macias part 1

As a longtime lover of words, there are instances when their timing or arrangement unexpectedly snags my heart and evokes such deep emotion I can scarcely verbalize it. And so I ponder the meaning as well as the emotion for a while before trying to give them voice.

That’s what happened to me recently as I read through a very familiar portion of Scripture in Isaiah 21, where the prophet sees and declares the impending, violent overthrow of Babylon. Regardless of how Isaiah felt toward the city or culture of Babylon, he was nearly undone at the vision of what would happen to the people who lived there.

And rightfully so. Though we may feel compelled to proclaim God’s Word and to stand for His righteousness in the face of whatever evil comes our way, we should also grieve at the pain that comes to those who reject God’s warning and mercy.

Isaiah was so grieved that he said, “My mind reels, horror overwhelms me; The twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling” (verse 4, emphasis mine.) How descriptive of his anguish! And how lovely his words that so describe my own feelings as I approach the end of my earthly sojourn.

Oh, I know. I’m only sixty-two, and in today’s world that’s really not that old. But let’s be honest here, shall we? I’m a lot closer to the end than the beginning of my life. And I’m fine with that! After all, I know without a shadow of a doubt where I will go when I breathe my last. But even as a believer who has been blessed to walk with God for more than thirty-five years and to have spent much of that time in public ministry, I will admit that I have regrets. And Isaiah’s words, “the twilight I longed for,” brings many of those regrets to the surface.

What about you? How have you handled regrets?

Come back on Wednesday for part 2 of Kathie's article.


Kathi Macias (www.kathimacias.com) is a radio show host and the author of more than thirty books, including Valeria’s Cross from Abingdon Press (co-authored with Susan Wales and releasing in September 2010) and the four-book Extreme Devotion fiction series (No Greater Love, More than Conquerors, Red Ink, and People of the Book) from New Hope Publishing.

posted by Margaret McSweeney @ 1:27 PM