TO CHEW ON: "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." Isaiah 35:5,6
What things make you joyful - finishing homework, seeing an old friend, being greeted by your dog, getting help with a hard job?
Even the greatest joy we feel now will be small compared to the joy Isaiah talks about in today’s reading. It will be the joy people feel when God comes to reign on earth. All of creation – plants, animals and people will know joy at that time.
Why will there be so much joy? Because of who God is. He is a God who makes wrong things right. He is a God who heals – makes the weak strong, the sick well, the blind see, the dumb shout, the lame walk. His power over nature makes even deserts become gardens and wild animals tame as pets.
When will this happen? Though Jesus’ coming to earth was part of it coming true, there is more. For this is a prophecy about what is still ahead for us. It talks about a time when God comes back to reign on earth.
But we don’t have to wait for some future time to know the joy that He brings. When we put the load of our sins on Him, accept that He paid the penalty (death) that we deserved to pay, and then let Him be the boss of our lives, this kind of joy can start in our lives now.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for bringing joy. Thank You for being joy. Amen.
MORE: Showing JoyWhen we’re full of joy, it’s hard to keep those feelings inside.
1. Read through Isaiah 35:1-10 again. Find all the words that speak of joy or show joyful actions. Make a list.
2. Add your own JOY words to the list.
ANSWERS
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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