December 17

DECEMBER 17

READ:

Isaiah 35:1–10

DEVOTION:

Isaiah 35 speaks hope to people in dry places. God looks at a desert, the kind of place where nothing is supposed to grow, and He says it will rejoice and bloom. He is not ignoring how hard the wilderness is. He is promising that He can bring life there anyway.

This chapter also reminds us what God’s redemption feels like up close. Weak hands get strength. Shaky knees get steady. Fearful hearts hear God say, “Do not fear, I am coming.” When God shows up, things that seemed stuck start moving again, healing happens, courage returns, joy breaks through.

Advent is the season we wait for Jesus, and Jesus is the proof that God comes into deserts. He entered a worn out world to start making it new. Isaiah says God even makes a highway through the wilderness, a real path for the redeemed to walk. That means we are not left to figure it out alone. God makes a way, and He leads His people home with lasting joy.

So if this season feels dry for you, or if you are walking with someone who feels that way, this is the promise, God’s redemption comes, and deserts are not too far gone for Him.

REFLECT:

Where do you need God to bring new life and joy in your wilderness right now?

PRAY:

God, You are the One who makes deserts bloom. Come near to us this Advent. Strengthen what is weak, steady what is shaken, and lead us on Your path of hope. Fill us with trust and lasting joy as we wait for Jesus. Amen.