One of my favorite gatherings each week is our night of prayer at the church I pastor. I love the freedom that people have to listen to the voice of the Lord, and then the boldness that they’ve discovered to step up and share with those who are there what He’s saying.
Last night, someone shared portions of Isaiah 35, which is a beautiful chapter about the Lord coming to save and redeem His people. Raise your hand if you could use some of that right now!
Verse 5 in that chapter makes the strong declaration that the Lord will come and save, but it’s the next few verses after that verse that really show how much things change when He comes.
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. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. (Isaiah 35:5-7 NIV)
Eyes are opened. Ears can hear. The lame leap; the tongue shouts.
Water appears with such intensity that the sand which was too hot to walk on becomes a pool that we’re in no hurry to leave.
In the places where wild animals would lie in wait to kill, there is new growth and new life.
In short, when He comes, everything changes. Looking back at the events we celebrate this month, we know that He did come, and we know that He is coming again.
But He is still appearing in places where we feel trapped and overwhelmed. In areas of our lives that have taken our breath, our voice, our safety. He still comes to those places, and when He comes, it still changes everything.
Photo by Huma Kabakci on Unsplash
