say to those who have an anxious heart,
“be strong; fear not!
behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
he will come and save you.”
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 35:4-6]
then shall the lame man leap like a deer
what an incredible picture of fulfillment of old testament prophecy! at times, like with the speaking of tongues at pentecost, God surprises with something unexpected, unforetold, and new—while at others, like here, He shows his sovereign hand by predicting his work hubdreds or thousands of years in advance. what an incredible God we serve! someone recently told me, “when God orders, he pays.” God will see every one if his promises through, including to never forsake his chosen believers, and to see his work through to completion in them. to the anxious, God says “fear not!”
Lord, thank you for showing your steadfast love and sovereign power by fulfilling every one of the prophesies about your coming Son; teach us to trust in you more every day, and to awe at the splendor of your glory!
~ stephen hall