This passage was made famous by George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, “Comfort Ye My People,” the second piece heard in Part I. In this recitative, God gives comfort and promises salvation.
Isaiah 40: God’s Comfort
God has not abandoned you, Isaiah was saying. Your best days are still ahead. Because of God’s grace He is coming to save you; your hope doesn’t need to depend on your ability, but rests completely on God and His love for you.