Tuesday

Read Isaiah 35:1-10

The desert will rejoice,

and flowers will bloom in the wilderness.

²The desert will sing and shout for joy;

it will be as beautiful as the Lebanon Mountains

and as fertile as the fields of Carmel and Sharon.

Everyone will see the Lord’s splendour,

see his greatness and power.

³Give strength to hands that are tired

and to knees that tremble with weakness.

⁴Tell everyone who is discouraged,

“Be strong and don’t be afraid!

God is

coming to your rescue, coming to punish your enemies.”

⁵The blind will be able to see,

and the deaf will hear.

⁶The lame will leap and dance,

and those who cannot speak will shout for joy.

Streams of water will flow through the desert;

⁷the burning sand will become a lake,

and dry land will be filled with springs.

Where jackals used to live, marsh grass and reeds will grow.

⁸There will be a highway there, called “The Road of Holiness”.

No sinner will ever travel that road; no fools will mislead those who follow it.^y

⁹No lions will be there; no fierce animals will pass that way.

Those whom the Lord has rescued will travel home by that road.

¹⁰They will reach Jerusalem with gladness, singing and shouting for joy.

They will be happy for ever, for ever free from sorrow and grief.

Isaiah describes deserts turning into refreshing lakes, covered in beautiful wild flowers.

He reminds us of the changes that God can bring.

"Be strong and don't be afraid! God is coming to your rescue..." - Verse 4