Hopeful Perseverance

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. - Isaiah 35:1‭-‬10 ESV

Justin Kim

Hope for the weary

The promise is given from God that He shall redeem the land. In the previous chapters, the prophet Isaiah warns Israel against trusting in other nations rather than God. This chapter is juxtaposed against that and speaks of how life can be found in trusting in God. In God, there is life, healing, and salvation. We are called to place our how in God and He will heal, revive, and save. This isn't just for the first day we place our faith in God, but for everyday Christian living. This is the foundation of what it means to be a Christian. He will come and save, not just the first time, but day after day. Jesus isn't just our savior, but we must also acknowledge Him as Lord over our lives. It's isn't just about celebrating Jesus as savior, but also living day to day with Jesus as Lord. Jesus isn't just a ticket to heaven, he is also about saving us from ourselves, from our self reliance.

Hope fulfilled

God speaks about redemption and hope in Zion. The kingdom of God is here, but also not yet. The salvation of God is already here in Christ. We are saved and secure because of Jesus. Yet we are not in heaven, Jesus at his first coming is an inauguration of the kingdom of heaven. We should celebrate it, but we should also pray and wait eagerly for the full coming of heaven on earth. Thanksgiving has just passed. The best moment for me is isn't just the fully stacked plate of dinner, but rather that first "test" bite when the fresh turkey comes out and is getting cut into probs. The first bite reassures us that the coming full dinner will be great. So it is for the Christian, the taste we have of heaven will point to coming fullness of the kingdom. Do we remember this? Do we hunger for the coming fullness of heaven? Let us return to the promise of God and the fullness to come. Let us submit to the Lord everything and every area of our lives.