Isaiah 35:1-7 New International Version (NIV)
Joy of the Redeemed
35 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God. 3 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;
4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” 5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. 7 The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
Wednesday - December 23
The prophet Isaiah gives us a glimpse of a world that seems “too good to be true!” The desert/wilderness (think Exodus) will be filled with water and life. The weak will be made strong. Anxious hearts will be calmed. The blind will be given sight. Yet, right now, we live in a wilderness of suffering. A loved one is diagnosed with cancer. People are losing jobs. COVID is still with us. The hope, peace, and joy of Christmas Day seems “too good to be true.” But Christmas is not the removal of hardship. Jesus was born in the manger with the purpose of going to the cross. God’s birth in a manger was the beginning of the end for sin, death and the devil. We wait with hope for the “promised land” that is both good and true.