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1 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. 3 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; 4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” 5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 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. 7 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. 8 And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. 9 No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, 10 and those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. (Isaiah 35:1-10 NIV)
Several times in my academic life, I had the opportunity to drive past the billboards that advertised Palo Duro Canyon as The Grand Canyon of Texas. I laughed the first time I saw it disbelieving such a claim. Mind you, I had never seen either, but at least I had seen pictures of the Grand Canyon. And off I drove. It was not until I was married and had a family did I brave a drive into the most amazing and awe-dropping canyon in Texas that is Palo Duro. We drove there in a borrowed RV that Nellie's brother insisted we take, and our stay there was an incredible experience. It had just rained in the canyon and the flowers and all vegetation shouted praise to God in that special place of Texas. There is so many blessings in rain especially when it visits the parched lands we know and love.
Advent is a season of hope; the coming of something awesome and beautiful, and here the prophet Isaiah, blessed by his calling from God to share the unseen that would be seen someday, Isaiah paints a vision of impossible transformation that captures the essence of what we're waiting for. "The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom." Deserts don't bloom. Parched land doesn't produce joy. Wilderness doesn't break into singing. Yet Isaiah prophesies exactly this—the barren becoming fruitful, the dead becoming alive, the hopeless becoming joyful. This isn't gradual improvement or slow recovery; it's explosive transformation: "Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy." The crocus is one of the first flowers to appear after winter, pushing through frozen ground to announce spring's arrival. Isaiah uses this image to describe what happens when God intervenes—life erupts where death reigned, beauty emerges from barrenness, joy explodes from sorrow. "The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God." The lush forests of Lebanon, the fertile slopes of Carmel, the beautiful plain of Sharon—all symbols of natural abundance—will pale in comparison to the glory revealed when God restores His creation. During Advent, we celebrate that this transformation began with a baby born in Bethlehem, and we await its completion when He returns.
Isaiah then shifts to addressing people in the midst of waiting: "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, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.'" This is pastoral care in the wilderness—encouraging those whose hands are too weak to hold on, whose knees are buckling under the weight of waiting, whose hearts are gripped by fear. The word to them is direct and powerful: "Be strong, do not fear." Not because circumstances aren't dire, not because the waiting isn't long, but because "your God will come." Notice the personal pronoun—not "a god" or "the God" but "your God." The One coming belongs to you, knows you, loves you, and is coming specifically to save you. The mention of "vengeance" and "divine retribution" isn't about vindictive rage but about justice finally being done, wrongs being made right, oppressors being stopped, and the vulnerable being vindicated. God comes both to judge evil and to save His people—these aren't contradictory but complementary. The same coming that brings terror to oppressors brings salvation to the oppressed. During Advent, we remember that Jesus' first coming emphasized salvation; His second coming will complete both salvation and justice.
Isaiah then describes what happens when God arrives: "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." This is precisely what Jesus pointed to when John the Baptist questioned whether He was really the Messiah. Jesus was fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy—the Messianic age had dawned, and the signs were unmistakable. But notice that healing is just the beginning: "Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs." Not just a trickle but a gush, not just moisture but streams, not just dampness but pools and springs. Where there was only death-dealing heat, there will be life-giving water. "In the haunts of jackals, where each lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow." Even the places where wild animals made their dens—dangerous, uninhabitable places—will become gardens. Nothing is beyond God's transforming power. No desert too barren, no wilderness too wild, no life too broken.
The passage culminates with a vision of the highway of holiness: "And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it." This isn't an exclusive club for the already-perfect but a protected path for God's redeemed people. "No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return." The dangers that threaten pilgrims—predators, bandits, wrong turns—are removed. This is a safe passage home for those who have been in exile, lost, or captivity. "They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away." This is the destination: Zion, the city of God, entered not with exhaustion but with singing, not with resignation but with joy. And this joy isn't temporary or fragile—it's everlasting, crowning their heads like a permanent diadem. Gladness and joy don't just meet them; they overtake them, pursuing and capturing them. Meanwhile, sorrow and sighing—the constant companions of life in a broken world—flee away, unable to survive in the presence of God's glory. This is the world we're waiting for during Advent, the reality inaugurated in Jesus' first coming and to be completed in His return—deserts blooming, blind seeing, lame leaping, captives freed, exiles returning home, and everlasting joy replacing every sorrow.
PRAYER: God of impossible transformation, thank You for the promise that deserts will bloom, the blind will see, captives will be freed, and everlasting joy will replace sorrow—during this Advent, strengthen our feeble hands and fearful hearts as we wait for the full arrival of Your kingdom, in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This Advent, look for one "desert" area in your life or community and ask God to show you a sign of His transforming work—a small bloom of hope, a trickle of living water, a glimpse of the coming kingdom.
I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me! Be the life that God wants people to have; share a smile and hope with those in need.
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
