death to life and beyond

chapter 35 of the book of Isaiah talks about God making things new. isaiah paints a beautiful picture of the New Jerusalem (or God’s coming Kingdom) will be like. the New Jerusalem is an overwhelming picture of God’s grace. verse one of chapter 25 calls the world a “desert wasteland blossoming”. i especially enjoyed the passage that said, “Then the lame shall leap like deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing”. i love this passage because it shows how extreme God’s mercy is. not only will the lame walk, they will leap like deer! not only will the dumb talk, they will sing! it reminds me of John 10:10, “…but I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”. God does not just give us life, He gives us life to the full. God’s kingdom is going to be so far beyond just good.
when i read this it makes me want to remember to be joyful, because of the Lord’s mercies. it is so easy to forget that God is good when we see such devastation in the world caused by sin. everywhere you look there is war and selfishness, a desert wasteland, if you will. it is encouraging to remember that God is in the process of doing His redeeming work. He will make the wasteland blossom. He has brought life to me, and in turn it is my job to reflect God’s love and mercy on others. i want to respond. God is redeeming His creation, and i want to be a part of it. here is a song by sufjan stevens that makes me think about God’s greatness and how He lets us take part in this redemptive work. i'll put some lyrics below too:


if i am alive this time next year
will i have arrived in time to share?
mine is about as good this far
i'm still applied to what You are
and i am joining all my thoughts to You
and i'm preparing every part for You

i heard from the trees a great parade
and i heard from the hills a band was made
will i be invited to the sound?
will i be a part of what You've made?
and i am throwing all my thoughts away
and i'm destroying every bet i've made
and i am joining all my thoughts to You
and i'm preparing every part for You

some of the ideas in this song are taken from Isaiah 55, also awesome.
love you all : )