relationships (Isaiah 35:1-10) A Relationship of Healing

(Isaiah 35:1-10)

1   The wilderness and the desert will rejoice,
     And the desert will shout for joy and blossom;
     Like the crocus 

2   It will blossom profusely 
     And rejoice with joy and jubilation.
     The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
     The majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
     They will see the glory of the Lord,
     The majesty of our God.
3   Strengthen the exhausted, and make the feeble strong.
4   Say to those with anxious heart,
     “Take courage, fear not.
     Behold, your God will come with vengeance;
     The retribution of God will come,
     But He will save you.”
5   Then the eyes of those who are blind will be opened,
     And the ears of those who are deaf will be unstopped.
6   Then those who limp will leap like a deer,
     And the tongue of those who cannot speak will shout for joy.
     For waters will burst forth in the wilderness,
     And streams in the desert.
7   The scorched land will become a pool 
     And the thirsty ground springs of water;
     In the haunt of jackals, its resting place,
     Grass becomes reeds and rushes.
8   A highway will be there, a roadway,
     And it will be called the Highway of Holiness.
     The unclean will not travel on it,
     But it will be for the one who walks that way,
     And fools will not wander on it.
9   No lion will be there,
     Nor will any vicious animal go up on it;
     They will not be found there.
     But the redeemed will walk there,
10 And the redeemed of the Lord will return 
     And come to Zion with joyful shouting,
     And everlasting joy will be on their heads.
     They will obtain gladness and joy,
     And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Even though this passage is prophetic, the principles still apply to us right now.  When we become a believer in Jesus Christ, we are redeemed through Him.  As believers, we will desire to have a close relationship and fellowship with the Lord.  And He will make sure that the path between us and Him is totally protected.  

While we will still struggle and stray, we cannot lose our salvation because of God's grace.  We have to know that this is not an excuse to continue down that path, because that path leads to consequences and misery.  Why would we want to?  Remember, it is all about our relationship with Jesus, and the condition of our heart.  So our desire should be to return to the Lord and remain focused on Him, because His path leads to fulfillment and satisfaction!

No matter what we might be going through, or no matter what is going on around us, we can be confident in the Lord.  He is sovereign, just and fair, is caring and more than able, and so, He will take care of the issues.  Through everything and anything, the closer we grow to Him in our faith and trust, the more we will experience His peace and joy.  

Therefore, in the Lord's strength, we are strengthened, and we are to strengthen, equip and encourage each other.  Remember that God will help us now in every circumstance, and bring spiritual healing;  and then in heaven, there will be complete spiritual and physical healing and everlasting joy!