Isaiah 35. Short intro. 3 years ago I took my daughters to Italy on frequent flier miles. I’d traveled 2 Friday-Saturdays a month most of their lives. Wanted to invest the miles back in them through the trip of a lifetime. Saved up for years & we 3 talked that trip up for years.
By the pure grace of God who seemed intent on blessing 3 flawed but thankful women who loved each other madly, the trip not only lived up to our long expectations. It shamelessly exceeded them. 10 days of joy & laughter. And pasta. So much pasta that I dreamed of tortilla chips.
By Day 6, I just wanted to use my teeth to eat but I digress. On to Scripture. You will be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful chapter in Isaiah than 35. It speaks of a day to come when the desert will bloom wildly and rejoice with singing over the glory & splendor of the Lord.
One thing I love about 35 is how Jesus must’ve loved it. He could recite it by heart, of course, & did so in part in Mt 11. “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer & the tongue of the mute will sing for joy.
Further in 35. “For water will gush in the wilderness & streams in the desert... A road will be there & a way; it will be called the Holy Way.... and the redeemed of the Lord will return & come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy.” Stay with me just a little longer.
“Joy and gladness will overtake them & sorrow & sighing will flee.” Can you imagine?? In these tumultuous, demoralizing days filled with constant uncertainties, could anything sound better?? But what difference does that make today? Isaiah would say every difference on earth. ->
In v.3 the prophet breaks out with this: “Strengthen the weak hands & make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come…He will come & save you.” Unshakable confidence toward our THEN lends us courage in our NOW.
Back to the story of our Italy trip. It would not have been nearly so much fun to surprise my daughters. Part of the outrageous joy was the anticipation. The planning. We read about it. Talked incessantly about it. Looked at pictures. We have an unimaginable trip coming, Saints.
A place that’ll be our new home. A trip paid for in full by Jesus. It’s an oddity that we spend most of our time in discipleship talking about a place we’ll only spend a vapor in time & so little about where we’ll be always. It’s going to be so good. We’re going to be so happy.
The redeemed will be crowned with unending joy & joy & gladness will overtake us & sorrow & sighing will flee. And oh how we will feast! And we will get to use our teeth. Tortilla chips from the Fry Daddy of all Fry Daddies.
Steady those shaking knees, Saints! Gonna be fabulous.
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