By Pastor Don Schatz

Dependable Amazement

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“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.”
Isaiah 35:1-2. New Revised Standard Version

The crocus in a front flower bed bloom in early spring and again in early fall.  It is always a treat both times.  Invariably, the fall bloom surprises me.  I wonder why I don’t always remember that will happen.  But dependably, it does happen.

God told ancient Israel, through his prophet Isaiah, that though they would experience exile in a distant land, he had a surprise in store for them. A dependable surprise. He would lead them back home.

Between the land of exile and their homeland was desert wilderness.  Surprise! The dry wilderness will be glad.  The desert will rejoice and blossom, abundantly.  The desert itself will rejoice with singing.  God told Israel in advance, to give them hope.  An amazing hope on which they could depend.

God was just getting started.  His promise of an amazing, dependable hope was simply a preface to Jesus, the true Hope for humankind.  The true hope for us.  Have you noticed that we tend to need the assurance of hope for us, individually?  We are wired that way.  God gave that hope to each of us in Jesus.  He continues to make that gift of hope real every day in Jesus.  Even if we don’t always remember that it will happen.  Even if we should lose hope.

Remember.  Remember today the hope of God in your heart, like the crocus blooming in autumn.  Hope that blooms with the beauty of God’s amazing, dependable love for you.  Remember that others in your life may also forget.  Overcome by difficulties, tragedies, struggles, even the sheer boredom of a life of same-old-same-old, they no longer remember the promises of God.  That’s where you come in.  You are God’s Isaiah today.  You are God’s voice of surprise and amazing dependability.  They can count on you.  Because they can count on the Lord, and he sends you into their lives as a living hope in the Living Hope that is Jesus.  Amazing!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado