1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:12,770 Speaker 1: Life Audio Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture, 2 00:00:13,250 --> 00:00:18,250 Speaker 1: a calming, scripture-centered devotional podcast designed to help you end 3 00:00:18,410 --> 00:00:21,650 Speaker 1: each day with God's Word in your mind and on 4 00:00:21,690 --> 00:00:26,750 Speaker 1: your heart. Right after this short word from our sponsors, 5 00:00:27,230 --> 00:00:42,150 Speaker 1: we'll reflect on tonight's scripture. Isaiah chapter 35. Tonight's scripture 6 00:00:42,190 --> 00:00:46,529 Speaker 1: reflection is written by Clarence Haynes and read by Leah Gerard. 7 00:00:47,510 --> 00:00:54,850 Speaker 1: Isaiah chapter 35. The desert and the parched land will 8 00:00:54,900 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: be glad. The wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, 9 00:01:00,900 --> 00:01:04,740 Speaker 1: it will burst into bloom. It will rejoice greatly and 10 00:01:04,860 --> 00:01:08,790 Speaker 1: shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given 11 00:01:08,830 --> 00:01:12,230 Speaker 1: to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will 12 00:01:12,270 --> 00:01:15,750 Speaker 1: see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. 13 00:01:16,930 --> 00:01:20,710 Speaker 1: Strengthen the feeble hands. Steady the knees that give way. 14 00:01:21,410 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 1: Say to those with fearful hearts, Be strong, do not fear. 15 00:01:25,980 --> 00:01:29,910 Speaker 1: Your God will come. He will come with vengeance. With 16 00:01:29,980 --> 00:01:35,149 Speaker 1: divine retribution, he will come to save you. Then will 17 00:01:35,170 --> 00:01:38,130 Speaker 1: the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears 18 00:01:38,170 --> 00:01:42,709 Speaker 1: of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like 19 00:01:42,750 --> 00:01:46,170 Speaker 1: a deer and the mute tongues shout for joy. Water 20 00:01:46,220 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. 21 00:01:50,660 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground 22 00:01:55,080 --> 00:02:00,660 Speaker 1: bubbling springs. In the haunts, Where jackals once lay, grass 23 00:02:00,740 --> 00:02:04,260 Speaker 1: and reeds and papyrus will grow. And a highway will 24 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,500 Speaker 1: be there. It will be called the way of holiness. 25 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: Will be for those who walk on that way. The 26 00:02:12,930 --> 00:02:16,690 Speaker 1: unclean will not journey on it. Wicked fools will not 27 00:02:16,770 --> 00:02:20,809 Speaker 1: go about on it. No lion will be there, nor 28 00:02:20,870 --> 00:02:24,690 Speaker 1: any ravenous beast. They will not be found there. But 29 00:02:24,830 --> 00:02:28,700 Speaker 1: only the redeemed will walk there. and those the Lord 30 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing. 31 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: Everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will 32 00:02:39,460 --> 00:02:48,649 Speaker 1: overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. While 33 00:02:48,669 --> 00:02:53,190 Speaker 1: there is great joy in following Jesus, following Christ does 34 00:02:53,230 --> 00:02:58,340 Speaker 1: not exempt us from exhaustion. Walking in righteousness and holiness 35 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:03,710 Speaker 1: is difficult, and sometimes it can feel like a constant 36 00:03:03,850 --> 00:03:08,870 Speaker 1: battle against the culture, Satan, and your own fleshly nature. 37 00:03:10,230 --> 00:03:13,090 Speaker 1: Sometimes it can exhaust you to the point where you 38 00:03:13,130 --> 00:03:16,210 Speaker 1: don't feel like putting on your armor or fighting the 39 00:03:16,290 --> 00:03:19,900 Speaker 1: good fight of faith. If you are in this place, 40 00:03:20,460 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: you are not alone. This can happen to all of us. 41 00:03:25,220 --> 00:03:29,690 Speaker 1: When faced with With being weak and weary, that is 42 00:03:29,750 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: the time to recognize that part of your strength comes 43 00:03:33,070 --> 00:03:36,300 Speaker 1: from your hope in what God has promised to do. 44 00:03:37,500 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: In Isaiah 35, we see how His promises work in us. 45 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: God's promise becomes the source of strength for those with 46 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:50,900 Speaker 1: feeble hands, weak knees, and fearful hearts. By shifting your 47 00:03:50,980 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: focus to a God who will come to save and 48 00:03:54,540 --> 00:03:58,780 Speaker 1: to rescue you, Your hands become stronger, your knees straighten, 49 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:03,570 Speaker 1: and your heart becomes courageous. This speaks to the amazing 50 00:04:03,650 --> 00:04:07,510 Speaker 1: hope that is birthed by holding on to God's promises. 51 00:04:09,110 --> 00:04:13,630 Speaker 1: These verses in Isaiah identify three areas you can place 52 00:04:13,690 --> 00:04:18,420 Speaker 1: your hope. The hope of deliverance, that God will come 53 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:23,060 Speaker 1: and save you. The hope of restoration, that He will 54 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:27,630 Speaker 1: heal and renew what is broken. and the hope of 55 00:04:27,770 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 1: everlasting joy, where he replaces yesterday's sorrows with the joy 56 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 1: of his presence. As you consider your journey, just know 57 00:04:39,500 --> 00:04:43,900 Speaker 1: there will be moments where you feel weak or weary. However, 58 00:04:44,380 --> 00:04:47,730 Speaker 1: you don't have to stay in that place. Your hope 59 00:04:47,790 --> 00:04:51,650 Speaker 1: in God allows you to look beyond what you're experiencing 60 00:04:52,310 --> 00:04:55,849 Speaker 1: and focus on what God has promised for you ahead 61 00:04:57,110 --> 00:05:01,110 Speaker 1: Focusing on your future hope can give you all the 62 00:05:01,390 --> 00:05:10,730 Speaker 1: strength you need to find strength in your present circumstances. Lord, 63 00:05:10,950 --> 00:05:15,090 Speaker 1: I am tired. My strength is weak. I am weary 64 00:05:15,150 --> 00:05:17,730 Speaker 1: and I feel like I have nothing left to offer. 65 00:05:18,550 --> 00:05:21,290 Speaker 1: I pray in this moment that you will help me 66 00:05:21,350 --> 00:05:24,670 Speaker 1: find strength in the truth of your promises, knowing that 67 00:05:24,690 --> 00:05:28,110 Speaker 1: you will never go back on your word Let my 68 00:05:28,170 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: confidence soar and renew my strength by the hope of 69 00:05:32,460 --> 00:05:36,900 Speaker 1: your word. Remind me that this season is temporary and 70 00:05:36,940 --> 00:05:40,920 Speaker 1: that today's weariness is part of the journey but not 71 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:45,010 Speaker 1: the end of the story. Thank you for your promises 72 00:05:45,050 --> 00:05:48,810 Speaker 1: which give me hope and your joy which gives me strength. 73 00:05:49,950 --> 00:05:53,989 Speaker 1: Help me to rest knowing that you will always walk 74 00:05:54,089 --> 00:05:59,099 Speaker 1: with me even when I have nothing left. I pray 75 00:05:59,260 --> 00:06:06,739 Speaker 1: all this in Jesus' name. Amen. How did tonight's scripture 76 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Your Nightly 77 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:12,460 Speaker 1: Scripture Forum discussion. 78 00:06:21,190 --> 00:06:25,750 Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture. Tonight's scripture 79 00:06:25,770 --> 00:06:29,850 Speaker 2: is was read from the New International Version by Biblica. 80 00:06:30,830 --> 00:06:36,239 Speaker 2: All rights reserved. Be sure to follow our sister show, 81 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:41,740 Speaker 2: Your Daily Bible Verse, on Apple or Spotify. By following 82 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:46,500 Speaker 2: Your Daily Bible Verse and Your Nightly Scripture, you can 83 00:06:46,540 --> 00:06:50,900 Speaker 2: be sure that your day begins and ends centered on 84 00:06:50,940 --> 00:06:51,690 Speaker 2: the Word of God. 85 00:07:03,450 --> 00:07:05,260 Speaker 1: Thank you.