Day By Day - Isaiah 35
By Paul Rich
Opening Thoughts:
Take a moment to consider the condition of your spiritual heart. Are you looking at life through your natural eyes, or are you quietly confident in spite of what you are going through?
Key Points:
1.Isaiah 35:1-2
“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 splendour of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendour of our God.”
We all go through tough times and perhaps they seem to never end. Year after year you look for that break, hoping that God's favour will shine. The interesting thing about a desert is that it only takes a small amount of rain to make it turn green and come alive. The potential was always there. You couldn't see it. There was no evidence. But it was there, nonetheless.
Isaiah 35:3-4
“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."
I find that life is full of wants and wishes. Hearts are easily distracted by these things and we can miss what is really important; that is, what is God wanting at this point in life?
2. Isaiah 35:5-7
“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.”
In God's time, we will see, hear, do, and laugh about our ordeals. The hard times will turn green and bear fruit. Keep the faith for He is faithful.
3. Isaiah 35:8-10
“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, 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.”
A Way of Holiness is a safe passage, set aside for those who trust in the Lord. There's plenty of distractions along the way but we don't 'have to' fall for them.
Closing Thoughts:
I like what the psalmist says in Psalm 55:22, "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." In 1 Corinthians 16:13, Paul says, "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong."
The best thing is that we don't achieve this using our own strength. In Matthew 11:28-30, we read, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Opening Thoughts:
Take a moment to consider the condition of your spiritual heart. Are you looking at life through your natural eyes, or are you quietly confident in spite of what you are going through?
Key Points:
1.Isaiah 35:1-2
“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 splendour of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendour of our God.”
We all go through tough times and perhaps they seem to never end. Year after year you look for that break, hoping that God's favour will shine. The interesting thing about a desert is that it only takes a small amount of rain to make it turn green and come alive. The potential was always there. You couldn't see it. There was no evidence. But it was there, nonetheless.
Isaiah 35:3-4
“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."
I find that life is full of wants and wishes. Hearts are easily distracted by these things and we can miss what is really important; that is, what is God wanting at this point in life?
2. Isaiah 35:5-7
“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.”
In God's time, we will see, hear, do, and laugh about our ordeals. The hard times will turn green and bear fruit. Keep the faith for He is faithful.
3. Isaiah 35:8-10
“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, 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.”
A Way of Holiness is a safe passage, set aside for those who trust in the Lord. There's plenty of distractions along the way but we don't 'have to' fall for them.
Closing Thoughts:
I like what the psalmist says in Psalm 55:22, "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." In 1 Corinthians 16:13, Paul says, "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong."
The best thing is that we don't achieve this using our own strength. In Matthew 11:28-30, we read, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Posted in Isaiah