Streams in the Desert {Part 4}

Streams 

I live in a town with two rivers running through it. New Braunfels, Texas is a hotbed in the summer months for river activities—tubing, kayaking, fishing, waterparks, bathers. It’s quite literally a hot mess in the summer months, when thousands of tourists come seeking relief from the heat and fun in the sun. 

One of our rivers is the Comal, which is the ‘shortest fastest’ river in Texas. The wellspring of the river is open to the public, and you can watch as thousands of gallons come forcefully bubbling up, unstoppable and rushing. What I love most is watching the people who watch the spring. They all step back from the riverbank in awe. There’s a lightness in their voices as they exclaim over it’s beauty and power, and the surprising strength that never runs out. 

The qualities of that kind of river—powerful, beautiful, refreshing, never ending—that is the astounding spiritual promise made in Isaiah 35. Come and sit by the banks with me, my friend, as we behold the God who brings forth streams in the desert.

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In our last devotion together, we considered two of three truths that are stated in Isaiah 35:4. Let’s focus in on the third promise below:

1. God will come with vengeance.
2. God will come with recompense.
3. God will come and save.

The God Who Saves

The “Behold,” of verse 4 is tied to an event. The coming, culminating event is salvation, and you will know that it is happening when verses 5-6 happen:

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer; and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.” (Isaiah 35:5-6)

What a wild promise! Isaiah is encouraging the people of Judah to look ahead toward an event in the future in which the blind shall see, deaf shall hear, those who cannot walk will leap, and the mute tongue will be loosed to sing for joy. And it’s stated as a reality. Then. It will happen. When Isaiah wrote that, it had not yet happened; but a future point in time was coming when all of those impossibilities would become a reality. Real men and women that were blind would see. Real people that had debilitating conditions would be healed. 

The question for those suffering in the desert—in Isaiah’s time and ours—becomes, “When? When will this crazy kind of salvation from pain and darkness come? Will I see it and experience it?” 

The Strength of Pain

Sometimes as I read through the New Testament accounts of the life of Jesus, I’m amazed at the doubt that surrounded Jesus. Everything about Him was remarkable—His sinless life, the way He spoke, the compassion He showed, the value He placed on the marginalized and abused; surely this Jesus was the Messiah! 

Yet doubt was there. Among His closest friends even, there were questions and a constant back-and-forth of trust and distrust. John the Baptist, who was set apart before birth and miraculously conceived, who spent his entire life waiting for Jesus and running a ministry, and who even saw the Holy Spirit of God and heard the voice of God when he saw the Son of God (Matthew 3) —when John was in pain, he doubted. Read Matthew 11:

“Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” (Matthew 11:2-3)

John had not had a cushy life. He lived in the wilderness, ate locusts and honey (…seriously. He did.) He was reviled by the spiritual leadership of the day. John was filled with wisdom and the Holy Spirit. And he lived boldly, challenging the Pharisees and rebuking King Herod for his unlawful marriage. He even met Jesus and baptized Him. John declared to everyone that Jesus was the Messiah, and that he was unworthy to even remove Jesus’ sandals from his feet. John was doing well, friends. He was living for God. 

And then he was thrown in prison.

Can you imagine with me the loneliness, fear, and doubt that crept in as he sat in that disgusting prison cell? Pain and loss are the great levelers to our faith. They knock down all of our constructs and confidence. If John could see what he had seen and still doubt, why am I surprised when I do? 

Compassion for those who Doubt

And this is Jesus’ response to John’s heartfelt question:

“And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” (Matthew 11:4-6)

Jesus was so compassionate. He did not rebuke, rebuff, or grow angry. Instead He kindly responded with referencing the prophecies that had been made about Himself. He brought John back to the Truth, to beholding. 

Jesus’ ministry was the event that Isaiah 35 had foretold. As Jesus walked throughout Israel, He healed the blind and the lame (Matthew 9, John 5), raised the dead (Mark 5), cleansed the outcast lepers (Mark 1), unstopped deaf ears (Mark 9), and made the mute speak (Matthew 9). Jesus came, not solely to save the physically debilitated in those days, but to fulfill all prophecies made about Him and reconcile His creation to Himself:

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion — to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a fainting spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

Jesus understood doubt, and pointed back to what had already been promised. He came for a complete and total restitution of His creation. And it was this truth that He offered to John to comfort him. 

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Erin Cushman is the founder of Hope Mommies. She is married to Blair and has four children: Gwendolyn, who has been with Jesus since October 20, 2010, Malacai, who is three, Gemma, born in June 2015, and Baby Cush. She loves photography, gardening, cooking, reading, playing with her children, and especially loves when all those things combine.

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