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Hope Blossoms
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By Patricia Raybon
Read: Isaiah 35:1–4 (NIV)
“The
desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and
blossom.” - Isaiah 35:1
In the
city of Philadelphia, when weedy vacant lots were cleaned up and brightened
with beautiful flowers and trees, nearby residents also brightened in overall
mental health.
“There’s
a growing body of evidence that green space can have an impact on mental
health,” said Dr. Eugenia South, “and that’s particularly important
for people living in poorer neighborhoods.”
South,
a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of
Medicine, is coauthor of a study on the subject.
The
downtrodden people of Israel and Judah found fresh hope in the prophet Isaiah’s
vision of their beautiful restoration by God.
Amid
all the doom and judgment Isaiah foretold, this bright promise took root: “The
desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and
blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and
shout for joy” - (Isaiah 35:1–2).
When we feel down, reflecting on His glory and
splendor will bolster us.
“Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees
that give way,” Isaiah
encouraged (verse
3).
Can a few flowers rekindle our hope? A
prophet said yes. So does our hope-giving God.
When you feel hopeless, how do you usually
respond?
How could spending time outdoors in God’s
creation transform your despair to renewed hope in God?
Dear God, thank You for the
splendor of Your creation, pointing me to Your glory, and reviving my hope in
You.
INSIGHT
Isaiah 34 and 35 provide a summary of the
judgment and blessing described in the first half of the book.
Chapter 34 describes judgment against “all nations” (verses 1–2), then
focuses on Edom (verse 5), an enemy of Israel, which was
representative of all nations.
The two chapters are linked by the warning of
God’s vengeance “to uphold Zion’s cause” (Isaiah 34:8) and to save Zion (Isaiah
35:4).
The restoration of Israel, or Zion, is
described as ultimately involving the renewal of the land and people.
The desert and wilderness will blossom (verse 1), Israel will be healed (verses 5–6), be safe (verses 7, 9), and be filled with joy (verse 10).
For
encouragement, read Hope: Choosing Faith Instead of Fear at discoveryseries.org/q0733.
Patricia
Raybon,
a former Sunday Magazine editor at The Denver Post and former
associate professor of journalism at the University of Colorado at Boulder, now
writes bridge-building books “to inspire people to love God and each other.”
Passionate for God’s Word, she also supports Bible-translation projects
worldwide. Her award-winning books include My First White Friend and I
Told the Mountain to Move. A mother of two and grandmother of five, she and
husband Dan live in Colorado where they enjoy movies, popcorn, cozy mysteries,
and soapy PBS dramas. Find her at patriciaraybon.com or
on Facebook or Twitter @patriciaraybon
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