If only you would tear open
the heavens and come down.
—Isaiah 64:1
You’ve heard the question—maybe asked it yourself: “If God is all-powerful and all-loving, why does he sit on his hands when bad things happen?”
It’s an old question. The grumbling Israelites asked, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Ex 17:7).
When Babylon crushed Israel and torched Jerusalem, Isaiah prayed, “If only you would tear open the heavens and come down!” (Is 64:1).
Then one day God did just that—tore open heaven and came down to a cradle in a stable.
Deep down, Isaiah knew how things would play out: “[God] acts on behalf of those who wait for him,” he said (Is 64:4).
So we wait. And one of these days he will again tear open the heavens and come down: “I will come again and take you to be with me” (Jn 14:3).
The trip has some rough roads
but the destination is paradise.