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2/1/13. Isaiah 35:1-10. EVERLASTING JOY AND GLADNESS- my devotional

2/1/13. Isaiah 35:1-10. EVERLASTING JOY AND GLADNESS- my devotional

Isaiah 35:1-10

Friday, February 1, 2013

Key Verse: 35:10                                                                                       Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF

and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

    Lord, Jesus Christ, thank you for directing our hearts by your word and your spirit. Thank you for guiding our feet each day. Cast your light before us so that we may follow you on our pilgrimage in this world. Thank you for granting me strength to carry on each day. I thank you also for Christian devotionals. Please help me to make meditating on your word a daily practice in my life. Teach me some eternal truth through this passage. I pray in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen!

Part 1: Your God Will Come and Save You (1-4).

Verses 1-4 read, “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, 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.”  The people had endured a time of judgment. That time is compared to a wilderness and a parched land. But judgment will give way to rejoicing and singing. The desert will blossom like a crocus. In the Old Testament time God did send his judgment on his people for their disobedience. But in this New Testament era things are different. We do experience times of dryness and fruitlessness. But this is not because of God’s judgment. It could be because it is a consequence of ignoring God or a consequence of our own choices. God may be leaving us to our own devices because of our own pride. Maybe he is treating us like sons and daughters, disciplining us so that we may share in his holiness. (Heb 12) Some of my greatest times of spiritual growth have been in times of suffering. And so, in Christ, our times of parchedness and our times in the wilderness can be times of great spiritual victory.

It can be a wonderful time because through it all, there will be time of great fruitfulness and joy we can see the glory of God. With Gospel faith, I can rejoice in all of my suffering. I know that God is leading me along the best path. I must admit the last two years of my life have been times of inner suffering and turmoil and tears as old paradigms and frameworks of life and ministry were torn down. But he is bringing me through it all. God is restoring relationships with those close to me and helping me to live in his grace and also giving me joy to have the freedom to creatively express the gifts the he has given. I can give my heart to Jesus and to the tasks he has set before me. I am beginning to rejoice and to shout for joy. The next thing that is happening in the “To Every Tribe” regional conference and the “Go To” ministries conference and “The Art of Marriage” Seminar as well as my research for the First Nations. There is so much happening. And it is  not just about doing things. It also is about the freedom that God has brought into my heart.

Life in this world can be very hard and difficult. Our pilgrimage is fraught with many sufferings, too numerous to count. But there will be a day when Jesus will come again. He will judge all of the injustices as the old order of things pass away. Jesus will usher in the New Jerusalem where there will no more sadness, tears or death. It is the Kingdom of God in all of its fullness. What a time of rejoicing that will be! This is one hope that keeps my heart alive and gives me strength day by day.

And so what should we be doing in the meantime? Verses 3-4 read, Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; 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.” (NIV 2011) The word of God tells us that we must strengthen our feeble hands and knees. We can do this through exercising spiritually. What about daily devotional reading and writing? What about prayer? What about sharing our faith? What about meditating on the word of God? What about venturing into areas where it requires great faith? But even when we exercise spiritually we find that we are still weak. Though we are weak and our hearts are anxious, we should not be afraid. We can take strength in God. He will come and reveal his glory. God will come to save his people. Praise the Lord that it is not left only to us.

Part 2:  What a Great Salvation We Have  (5-10).

Verses 5-10, “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 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. 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. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, 10  and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

God’s salvation has come through Jesus. Luke 7:22 reads So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” (NIV 2011) He opens the eyes of the blind, makes the deaf to hear and heals the lame and mute. Jesus is the Way of Holiness for all those who put their trust in him. He cleanses us so that we can walk on that highway. He also guards the way from ravenous beasts and fools. The Way of Holiness leads us to Zion, the city where God dwells, the kingdom of heaven. When Jesus returns, all those who have trusted in Jesus shall enter Zion with singing, and everlasting joy shall crown their heads. The singing and everlasting joy can begin even now.

Wow! There is total salvation in Jesus. There is complete blessing in Jesus. Many people think that blessing is winning the lottery or getting the dream job or marrying Mr and Mrs Right. Such things may bring temporary joy. But they can not bring deep joy and lasting blessing that the Lord brings when we hold onto Gospel faith. We all have heard all the sad stories of those who have won the lottery. What about the latest one of a man who was poisoned the day after winning the lotto? But Jesus brings complete blessing. And this blessing is not dependent on the world economy either…thank God. It may not mean money, but it does mean inner healing and deep spiritual joy. Why doesn’t the whole world go after Jesus?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for ransoming me through Jesus and bringing everlasting joy and gladness. Help me to walk on the way of holiness.

One Word: There is joy and healing and great spiritual blessing in the Lord. 




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