Isaiah 35

What a smile.

Isaiah 35  

SATURDAY  Reflections

In the Messiah's kingdom, there will be no sorrow and all will be made right. This chapter is offering this comfort to the righteous who are hearing about God's judgment. For those that serve God, His coming is not a thing to fear but a time to rejoice in. Even death isn't anything to fear. As Paul says in Philippians 1:21 to die is a gain for the believer.

A wonderful promise for believers is also found in the last verse of this chapter. "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" (NIV).   

Isa 35:1-10
(1)  The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
(2)  It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.
(3)  Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
(4)  Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
(5)  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
(6)  Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
(7)  And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
(8)  And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
(9)  No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
(10)  And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash