20th September, 2025
A Fountain Publication
The Lodestar
Online Magazine for the Thinking Christian
Devotional
Distress to Praise
“I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal him” (Isa 57:18—19).
By Paulson Pulikottil
The Lord has words of comfort for all those who are distressed. This is one of the oracles of comfort the Lord gave through Prophet Isaiah to the people in exile in Babylon.
In the Bible, “healing” signifies more than restoration of physical health. It could mean rebuilding broken communities and comforting those in distress. The second line of this verse, which further explains the first, confirms that the healing the Lord promises in this context means comforting those who are now mourning their losses.
God’s healing of the sorrow is more than the end of pain. His restoration is more than a return to joyfulness as the healed turn Godward. The Lord heals those who suffer and “creates the fruit of the lips.” The fruit of the lips is the verbal expression of thankfulness to the Lord, acknowledging God’s favour.
We have here a two-way response. The Lord restores us when we are in distress, and we turn to him in praise for what he has done for us.
When you are walking through sorrow or emotional exhaustion, don’t rush past the pain—bring it honestly before the Lord. Set aside time this week to reflect on how God has comforted you in past seasons. Write down one or two specific moments of healing or restoration, and turn them into words of praise—your “fruit of the lips.”
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits…” (Psa 103:2).
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