December 13th, 2025
by Alana Day
by Alana Day
READ
"5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For water break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;"
Isaiah 35:5-6
REFLECT
When you read those verses, did any stories about Jesus come to mind? Maybe Jesus healing the woman who touched the hem of his garment or the paralytic that was dropped down through the roof? What about Jesus healing the blind man with mud made from his spit or Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead? Tim Keller said, "We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order, but Jesus meant them to be the restoration of the natural order. ... Jesus’ miracles are not just a challenge to our minds, but a promise to our hearts, that the world we all want is coming."
In this chapter, Isaiah is describing our future home, one where we will trade our sorrows and pain for a joy that is unbreakable. One where the land will not decay or run dry. Jesus' earthly ministry was just a foretaste, a promise of what is to come. He came to begin the work of righting what was wronged by sin but we still long for the day of His return when all will be made new. John tells us that many other miracles were done in the presence of Jesus' disciples but these were "written so that we may believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." Trust in Jesus today to begin experiencing new life now, we do not have to wait and Isaiah is telling us that the story only gets better from here!
RESPOND
So how can we allow this future hope to anchor us in our current exile? Wait with courage. Isaiah 35:4, the verse before today's reading, says to remind those with an anxious heart that God will come to save them. What is making you anxious today? Do you trust He will bring you home singing? Ask God to help you believe that what He says is true and ask Him to help you trust Him enough to follow Him now.
"5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For water break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;"
Isaiah 35:5-6
REFLECT
When you read those verses, did any stories about Jesus come to mind? Maybe Jesus healing the woman who touched the hem of his garment or the paralytic that was dropped down through the roof? What about Jesus healing the blind man with mud made from his spit or Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead? Tim Keller said, "We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order, but Jesus meant them to be the restoration of the natural order. ... Jesus’ miracles are not just a challenge to our minds, but a promise to our hearts, that the world we all want is coming."
In this chapter, Isaiah is describing our future home, one where we will trade our sorrows and pain for a joy that is unbreakable. One where the land will not decay or run dry. Jesus' earthly ministry was just a foretaste, a promise of what is to come. He came to begin the work of righting what was wronged by sin but we still long for the day of His return when all will be made new. John tells us that many other miracles were done in the presence of Jesus' disciples but these were "written so that we may believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." Trust in Jesus today to begin experiencing new life now, we do not have to wait and Isaiah is telling us that the story only gets better from here!
RESPOND
So how can we allow this future hope to anchor us in our current exile? Wait with courage. Isaiah 35:4, the verse before today's reading, says to remind those with an anxious heart that God will come to save them. What is making you anxious today? Do you trust He will bring you home singing? Ask God to help you believe that what He says is true and ask Him to help you trust Him enough to follow Him now.
Alana Day
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