Chapters 40-55 of the Book of Isaiah contain the message of a prophet who spoke to God's people during their exile in Babylon. God calls the prophet to encourage the Jewish people who are longing to go home. The prophet is to tell them that they will be returning home soon, and the road of the return will pass through the desert.
Some people speak of God as though God was like a great clock-maker who created this universe as a clock-maker makes a clock, winds it up, and then sits back and watches it run.
But the stories about God in the Old Testament tell of a different kind of God. Many of the great stories- Noah, Cain and Abel, the creation - tell of a God who is very much involved in this world.
God isn't just sitting back and watching. Life in this world isn't a test track. You are God's creation, and God is very, very involved in your life ... even when (especially when) you don't see God's hand at work.
- Little Blue Book, Diocese of Saginaw