JESUS JOY JOURNEY

Last month I had the privilege of going on a retreat with the women from my church at one of my favorite camps not far from Mount Rainier.  For the past ten summers we have dropped our kids off at this camp for a week of adventure, faith and fun!  We also participated in their family camp for several years over Labor Day weekend and enjoyed making special memories together with friends. 

On Saturday afternoon of our retreat, I had planned to spend my free time in the sauna with a group of friends, but God was wooing me onto the water for a paddle with Him.  So I decided to take a canoe out by myself for a paddle with my creator basking in His creation.  Perhaps I would find the beaver and his dam that we had often seen over the years or maybe the beautiful flight of an eagle coming off of her perch.   As I paddled on the glass lake, I could see the reflection of the forest surrounding me.  

God was reminding me of his deep love for me as his breathtaking creation was all around me.  When I arrived at the former spot of the beaver’s dam, he was not there.  Then I looked up and heard a flock of Canadian geese taking off across the water. They were flying in peaceful unison, confident of their destination. 

As I was heading back, something caught my eye my on the shore.  To my surprise, I saw several deer up in the woods.  But what happened next was exhilarating.  One of the does began leaping through the forest brush and she didn’t stop.  For several minutes I watched her leap for joy across the banks along the shore.  I smiled to myself and thanked God for this special surprise. As I pondered this gift for the days that followed, I found this section of Scripture in Isaiah 35 entitled, 

“Joy of the Redeemed”

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 the lame will 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.

We don’t have to look far to find pain and injustice in our world today. These verses are a beautiful reminder that God brings hope in the midst of despair, healing into brokenness and his powerful strength into our places of greatest weakness. Isaiah is prophesying about all that the coming messiah Jesus would accomplish through his death and resurrection. Also, in the following chapters we see how the prophet Isaiah and King Hezekiah trust God to powerfully defeat their arch enemy, the Assyrians.  With God ALL things are possible!  Will you claim these promises with me today and join me in leaping for joy?