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. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”
Today we begin to look at the light of joy.
Our Scripture talks about the dry, parched wilderness rejoicing and blooming with fragrant flowers as we begin to see the majesty and glory of God. Although you’ve just read the NRSV of the text, I’d like you to read part of it again from The Message. The title of the passage is “The Voiceless Break into Song”.
Wilderness and desert will sing joyously, the badlands will celebrate and flower – like the crocus in spring, bursting into blossom, a symphony of song and color. Mountain glories of Lebanon – a gift. Awesome Carmel, stunning Sharon – gifts. God’s resplendent glory, fully on display. God awesome, God majestic.
Can’t you hear the music in the passage? I can see the rose bud sprouting and blooming everywhere. I can feel the thunder from the skies when Elijah prayed, God sending fire down to consume the burnt offering on the altar in response. I can hear the angels singing Gloria in excelsis Deo while the shepherds worshipped the baby in His mother’s arms.
At times, we as Christians may feel like the voiceless. It can be hard to express our faith publicly, especially around the holiday season. We are surrounded by so many secular images and pressures that the true meaning of the season can get lost. But the Scripture tells us to take courage, be strong and know that God is coming to save us. We should break into song. Yes!, we can sing with joyful anticipation of the coming Savior, born in a manger to redeem us all.
I don’t know about you, but I want to be like a child again, hopping on one foot in excitement during this Advent season. I want to look forward to the birth of my Lord. I want to sing GREAT IS OUR JOY! from the rafters.
God is awesome and majestic. Nothing is better than joyfully praising Him in song.
Written by Denise Engelhardt, Music Director and Pianist
What am I passionate about at Heritage?
I am passionate about the music of this church, of course. But I also love the people who are always encouraging each other in good times and bad.
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