So many times we think salvation is limited to just us “not going to hell” or some variant of that. While that’s true, it’s just a hint of the cosmic impact of the salvation of God. Isaiah 35 opens with even the wilderness and dry land rejoicing for the coming of the Lord.
 
The desert blooms, weak hands and knees are strengthened, and fearful hearts are encouraged to be strong and not fear. Why? How can all this be? The answer is simple and clear: God Himself is coming to save His people.

Wrapping our minds around this truth helps us understand the nature of the Kingdom of God. His reign is neither cold rule or abstract control. It brings restoration to everything. We learn from scripture that all of creation has been subjected to frustration because of the sin of man, but when He comes, even creation will respond. Bodies are healed, fearful are strengthened, exiles return, dry and barren places spring forth in abundance. He is truly making All Things New.
 
The vision of redemption and rescue is one encompassing all of creation, not just humans and just us as individuals. As the holy road opens up for the redeemed, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap, the mute will sing, and joy will be the crown of all God’s people.
When God reigns, everything that is broken is made new.
 
I know we still feel the sting of sorrow in this present world, in the tension of the already / not yet. We pray for sick friends and family and grieve deep losses. We still face injustice, weakness, and fear. But reading the words of Isaiah about the kind of King God brings helps us come alive with hope.

He helps us shape our view of the world in light of this reign. Nothing, not the wilderness, not the weak hands and knees, not the fear or the exiles are beyond His reach.
 
As Jesus walked about healing the blind, raising the dead, restoring the lame, and cleansing the unclean, He wasn’t performing random acts of kindness, He was revealing that Isaiah’s promised hope had arrived.
 
The King has come, and His goodness is crashing into the present age. The desert isn’t yet in full bloom, but the flowers are piercing the surface!

Are there desert places in your life that feel too barren for hope? How can Isaiah 35 help you see God’s Kingdom as restoration and not just rule and power?

Father, often my hands and knees feel weak and shaky. Open my eyes to reality in light of Your coming fulfillment of salvation. I’m grateful your reign moves toward the broken and barren; the hopeless and the weary. Help me to truth the King who brings restoration. Give me courage and wisdom to live in hope while I wait for the desert to be in full bloom. Amen.

“Today I can practice the hope of the Kingdom with __________________.”