Advent and Lenten Devotions by Goshen
College students, faculty, and staff - Welcome to Goshen College Advent
Devotions 2013: Tuesday, 10 December 2013 “God above the tree line” by Grace
Boehm, a sophomore history major from Merriam, Kan.
SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 35: The Return of the Redeemed to Zion
1 The wilderness and the dry land shall
be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus 2 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.
3 Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4 Say to those who are of a fearful
heart,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.”
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be
opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the
wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7 the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a
swamp,[a]
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
8 A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,[b]
but it shall be for God’s people;[c]
no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
9 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.
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall
return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their
heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Footnotes:
Isaiah 35:7 Cn: Heb in the haunt of
jackals is her resting place
Isaiah 35:8 Or pass it by
Isaiah 35:8 Cn: Heb for them(NRSV)
DEVOTIONAL:
To me, the journey of life is reflected
in Isaiah 35:1-10. What came to my mind while exploring this text was the
mention of “wilderness” and how my experiences in the Rocky Mountains could
relate. Climbing a mountain is an internal struggle as well as a physical one.
With blistered feet, sore hands and sweaty body, also comes the mentally
demanding fight to keep moving forward. One part of the passage says,
“Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with
fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come.’”
I find myself overwhelmed with seeing
God’s presence through the fatigue and cold that I feel above the tree line.
It’s not for the weak of heart, but God is present throughout. Personally, I
believe that the wilderness is beautiful, wild and refreshing to the soul. It
is where I feel most at home, but it comes with dangers too. I think that in
Isaiah, the importance of life through salvation is clear. Water will burst
forth into the wilderness and all will be lush and green. Happy are those whose
help is in the Lord!
Where have you found the beautiful parts
of life even amidst trial and tribulation? Whether climbing a mountain or
bearing the heavy load of life, it is important to ask God to be present and
give support. With God, anything is possible.
SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 35:The Return of the
Redeemed to Zion
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 are of a fearful heart,
‘Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.’
Then the eyes of the blind shall be
opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for
joy.
For waters shall break forth in the
wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a
swamp,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,
but it shall be for God’s people;
no traveller, not even fools, shall 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 joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.(NRSV)
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Goshen College
1700 South Main Street
Goshen, IN 46526 United States
(574) 535-7569
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