“And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35:10)
At Christmas time, many people in our world today feel depressed and hopeless. They feel oppressed by evil forces, violence, and wickedness. This is because they do not know Jesus. They do not know God. And yet we Christians also at times feel overwhelmed and depressed by the evil around us and by our own sinfulness.
Isaiah presents to all of us an antidote, the bright ray of hope and joy: the coming Kingdom of God. This Kingdom of Heaven is the blessed hope of the righteous, those who have faith in Jesus, those He has redeemed. In life they have been terribly oppressed and abused. They are called blind, lame, deaf, and mute because they are totally incapable of caring for themselves, attaining justice for their injuries, or victory over their enemies. But such are those who make up the Kingdom of God. The strong and powerful, the attractive and the proud, the self-righteous and self-assured do not enter that Kingdom. Only the lowly, the sick, the helpless, the losers of this world will enter in because they trust in God, not in self.
The beauty of Isaiah’s words are like an oasis in the desert of barrenness and pain. They help us to focus on the reality of the unseen Kingdom amidst the trials and turmoil of life, because they serve as an assurance that there is a better place. The glory of God’s Kingdom is a great comfort because it will be free of pain and darkness. Many poets and hymn writers have tried to describe the beauty of that heavenly Kingdom, but the true beauty comes from the Lord Himself. Heaven is made magnificent not by streets of gold and mansions of glory, or even by the presence of our loved ones but by the comforting and compassionate presence of The Lord God.