But why? Why did God do this? Why does he interact with people? It goes back to the very beginning, to Genesis. We learn there that God created man to be able to relate to Himself. We read about them walking and talking in the garden of Eden. Then Adam disobeyed. Decided he could take charge of his own life. Only to find – as we all discover – that being in charge of our own life is a quick route to our own destruction.
But God didn’t give up on us. He still wants people to relate to Him. People who will walk with Him and talk with Him.
Isaiah in another prophecy tells of a time when things will be put right for those who are right with God. A time of rejoicing. Of everlasting joy!
Isaiah 35 The Joy of the Redeemed
The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.�Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.�The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendour of Carmel and Sharon;�they will see the glory of the Lord , the splendour of our God.
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 will the lame 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.
8 And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness;� it will be for those who walk on that Way.�The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.�9 No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast;� they will not be found there.�But only the redeemed will walk there, 10 and those the Lord has rescued will return.�They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.�Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. NIV
Why will there be so much joy? So much rejoicing? Because God promised to build a highway through the wilderness to Zion. To enable His redeemed people to travel that way unharmed. The desert will be watered and grow grass.
But only the people rescued by God are allowed there.
Have you been rescued by God? Do you know for certain that God has saved you?
Or are you sitting there wondering what is going on around you? Knowing that your life is bad, awful. Knowing that everything has gone wrong.
Today is your opportunity to choose a different way.
To choose to travel God’s way.
To be able to experience joy despite the trials and tribulations that you are going through.
The story of how God loved the world so much that He allowed His Son to come to earth to be born as a human baby. As it says in Phil 2:7-8 {Jesus} emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death — even death on a cross. NRSV