The Road to Glory
Isaiah 35:1-10
By Mark Harper
A road will be there and a way; it will be called the Holy Way.|
The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for the one who walks the path.
The overall theme of our Advent Devotionals for this year is “The Wonder of Advent.” In Isaiah 35, the prophet talks about a “highway,” a road that the redeemed of the Lord will travel in returning to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon approximately 500 miles from their homeland. The mighty Babylonian army, under King Nebuchadnezzar, had conquered Judah, shattered the city walls of Jerusalem, and left the Jerusalem temple in ruins. As was the custom in those days, conquering armies would relocate thousands of leading citizens to prevent any organized rebellion. The only way home was through a vast, frightening, and overwhelming wilderness.
Describing those in exile, the Prophet Isaiah says that their hands were weak, their knees had grown feeble, and their hearts had become fearful. There appeared to be no hope, no help, and no way to be restored and renewed.
There are times when we feel like we are living in a wilderness with no hope and no help! Our world is in chaos. Life is tough. Our hands are weak; our knees feeble; and our hearts are fearful. We cannot do it alone. Where can we turn for strength, redemption, and healing? God promises us a way. It is God’s holy way through the wilderness we travel every day. It is a new way, a holy way, a safe way, a joyful way.
These words of Isaiah 35 are the central message of Matthew 11. Jesus described Himself using Isaiah’s words. The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear. Isaiah wrote of that promised Savior to come, 700 years before His birth.
The “Road to Glory” began at Christmas with the birth of Jesus but the final pavement was laid down at Easter. We celebrate His birth during this season. But we also remember His sacrifice on the cross, because only through His death can we experience the restored lives we so desperately need and want. Only by accepting his forgiveness and grace can we travel The Road to Glory!
Father, thank you for providing a way through the wilderness for life through Jesus who brought hope and healing and redemption into our lives. We love you!