Behold: The Promise预览

Hope and Expectation

Isaiah 35:1-2  NIV

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.

I was out shopping with my mother on an otherwise uneventful day, when out of the blue she received the phone call our family had all been praying for - a precious donor heart had become available and matched to baby Ellie! Ellie, my sister’s daughter, was diagnosed with a rare heart condition at 6 weeks old and had spent over 12 months in hospital. The only way forward for her in life was to receive a heart transplant, and the wait was taxing, so the news of this coming miracle brought sudden joy and hope to us all in that moment. 

Isaiah 35 is a prophetic declaration of great joy and promise to God’s people at a time where they were feeling disheartened after years of exile and loss. Like many poetic prophetic  words, it had a direct fulfilment in that context, seen by the coming prosperous days under the rule of Hezekiah, but also spoke further of the coming Kingdom of Christ and Kingdom of Heaven. These verses can therefore bring comfort, hope and expectation to every believer today.

The words reveal God’s redemptive character and declare a better day ahead. The contrasting imagery stirs up hope, expectation and rejoicing in our hearts. There is certainty: The desert and parched land will be glad! The wilderness will rejoice and blossom! (Lebanon, Carmel and Sharon were all places known for their lush beauty). They will see the glory of the Lord. It reminds me of David in the Psalms who also declared with great assurance: “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.“ (Psalm 27:13 NIV)

We all face desert and wilderness times in life. Times, seasons and circumstances that cause us disappointment and grief. But God’s comforting voice of hope comes to us in the midst of these times as a sharp interruption, bringing promise. Receiving this and rejoicing in anticipation of breakthrough is the life of faith. Let’s put declarations in our mouth that speak of God’s goodness, salvation and glory outworking in our lives. 

Behold - Promise!

What’s a desert or wilderness area in your life right now, that you can begin to see differently? Where has hope and expectation for good things in your life died and need some resurrection? What promises can you declare in your prayer life and rejoice with faith in?