The Word

Isaiah 35:1-10

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Reflect

By Tara West

Isaiah 35:1-10 is a passage that focuses on the presence of light in darkness. This text is a reassurance to the Judahite exiles that, despite the bleak nature of their situation, there are better things to come. To the Judahite exiles, there seemed to be no redemption for their lives, but God promised them a better world.

This can apply to our lives as well, in the sense that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes, in the middle of a busy week or a stressful holiday season, we lose sight of the joy in our everyday lives. But just as God promised his people a better future in this passage, that promise also applies to us. Even if there’s no big moment where everything in our life changes immediately, there’s always joy to be found if we look hard enough.

Every week in youth formation, we talk about the highs and lows of our week. This is a tiny exercise, but it encourages us to think positively about our week. We can accept (and even complain about) the bad parts of our lives, but we also have to find something good to talk about, even if it’s felt like an awful week. Sometimes the way that God shows up in our lives is through the little things, like a pretty sunset or someone complimenting your outfit.

So I challenge you, rather than focusing on the bad thing, find at least one thing every week that brings you joy, and try to focus on that joy.

Listen

By Dr. Ben Hutchens

American composer Earlene Rentz provides us with the music for this week. The recording comes from Westminster’s Advent Lessons & Carols service, featuring vocal and handbell choirs of Adults and Youth. “Arise and Shine” is a vibrant choral work rooted in the prophetic imagery of Isaiah. The anthem brings forward the theme of illumination—both divine and personal—through bright melodic gestures and clear harmonic writing. Rentz’s skillful use of parallel motion, gentle syncopation, and text-sensitive phrasing creates an atmosphere of joyful proclamation, making the piece engaging for singers and immediately appealing to listeners.

I find it difficult for any listener (or performer) to not find an immediate sense of joy! So, on this Sunday of “Joy,” I pray you might find yourself tapping you foot or even swaying along with the ringers and singers as we prepare for the great Joy of the Nativity of the Christ Child.