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The Bible Breakdown
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The Bible Breakdown
Isaiah 35: Highway of Holiness
Join the Bible Breakdown Podcast as we explore the transformative journey described in Isaiah 35—where the barren desert is promised to bloom into a vibrant oasis. This episode invites you to discover the profound meaning behind the "Highway of Holiness," a pathway of divine hope, healing, and redemption. We delve into the power of a supportive spiritual community, emphasizing how vital it is to lift each other up, especially when our hands are tired and knees are weak. Reflect on the empowering assurance that God is coming to save us, reinforcing our courage and fortifying our faith against fear.
In our second segment, we shift our focus to the importance of finding perspective through prayer and unyielding trust. Embrace the message that with divine support, all things are possible as we recite Isaiah 12:2, a memory verse that is a cornerstone of our faith. Celebrate gratitude and victory with us as we encourage you to share this divine message within your own communities. Together, let's reaffirm our commitment to trust in the Lord and find solace in His ever-present strength and salvation.
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The More You Dig. The More You Find.
Hello everybody, welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon. Today, isaiah, chapter 35, and today's title is Highway of Holiness Highway of Holiness. Now, usually when I'm on a highway I need some holiness, but today, not the highway to hell, but the highway for, or of holiness. Okay, we're gonna get into that in just a moment, and I love the analogy that God always uses of a desert and oasis in the desert. Highway for or of holiness. Okay, we're going to get into that in just a moment, and I love the analogy that God always uses of a desert and oasis in the desert, and that's what we're going to talk about today. But before we get into that, and as you're getting your Bible open to Isaiah 35, don't forget to like, share and subscribe to YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure you're leaving us a five-star review on the podcast it always helps. And do me three things. Number one make sure you are sharing this with other people. One of the things we like to do is we like to present God's word and I like to think of myself as your friendly neighborhood Bible geek, nerd, whatever works for you, but I just love God's word and I want to share it with you. And so if you know somebody who needs to get into God's word and just to read it every day, make sure you share it with them. Number two is to go to the Bible Breakdown Discussion. There's an amazing group of people who are writing devotions every day and they're just doing wonderful. And then the third one is to go to thebiblebreakdowncom, where there's more and more resources compiling there every day, and the more we dig, the more we find right.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, isaiah, chapter 35, remember. The overall theme is God, our salvation. And yes, as we read through these, I am with you, as we are now halfway through Isaiah. I love these chapters because these are those gems, right, where it's just talking about the good things that God's going to do, and that's important. Because there's chapters where God's talking about judgment Everybody's getting some judgment and they need it, right. They need it because Israel is surrounded by all these enemies who are pretending to be their friends but are not, and they're pretending to say, hey, you align with me and we're going to protect you from big, bad wolf Assyria that's coming, and they're all a bunch of liars, right, and God's saying if you will turn your life to me, I'm going to take care of you right. And today, in chapter 35, is one of those wonderful moments where it's just the hope for restoration for all of Israel. And I love how it's going to say that through the desert, god is going to make a highway of holiness. And this mental picture is just beautiful. And I just hit my arm and it hurts so bad. But in Jesus' name, we're going to get on a highway of holiness and it's going to feel a whole lot better. All right, we keep it real around here and so real quick. We're going to read Isaiah, chapter 35, while God heals my elbow, and we're going to read this together. You ready.
Speaker 1:Isaiah 35, verse 1, says this Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring carcasses. I got no idea what that is, but it sounds great. Verse 2. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy. The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon and as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display his glory, the splendor of our God, with this news strengthen those who have tired hands and encourage those who have weak knees. And when he comes, the lame will leap like a deer and those who cannot speak will sing for joy. Springs will gush forth in the wilderness and streams will water the wasteland. The parched ground will become a pool and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land, marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where the desert jackals once lived. A great road will go through that once deserted land and it will be called the highway of holiness. There it is. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God's ways. Fools will never walk there. Lions will not lurk along its course, nor any other ferocious beast. There will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will walk on it. Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear and they will be filled with joy and gladness. Wow, I love the verse back up in verse three that says with this news, strengthen those who have tired hands and encourage those who have weak knees. And this is what you're supposed to say to them. Verse four be strong and do not fear, for your God is coming and he will save you. I love that so much. Do you know?
Speaker 1:One of the things that is so important about being part of a spiritual family is that there are times when I'm doing okay right, things are okay, my relationship with God is strong, I'm doing my spiritual disciplines to help me get closer to God and I'm good. And it's in those moments when I can look around and I see somebody else who is struggling and my job is to not go to God and I'm good. And it's in those moments when I can look around and I see somebody else who is struggling and my job is to not go to them and testify to them at how good I'm doing. You know what I mean. You know that is. That is not what I'm supposed to do. Hey, you look like you're struggling. Let me brag about me for a moment. No, that's not what we do.
Speaker 1:But when we see somebody else struggling, the Bible says strengthen those who have tired hands and encourage those who have weak knees by telling them don't give up, don't be afraid, because God is on his way to destroy your enemies and he's coming to save you. In other words, encourage them in the Lord. And you know why that's so important? Because being part of a spiritual family means that when I am strong, I lift you up, because there'll be moments when I'm going to be weak and I'm not going to plan on it. I don't want to be like that. And so it's going to come when I least expect it, and while I'm trying to figure out what's going on, you're going to be strong. And then you come to me and you know what you say hey, man, I want you to know don't give up, don't be afraid, for God is coming to destroy your enemies, just like he did mine. He's coming to save you. And what I love is this idea that there will be this highway of holiness right in the middle of a desert, and that's important, because there are times in our life when it can feel like there's a desert all around us, there's difficulty all around us, but when we come into the presence of God, that can be a place of peace. I want to encourage you with this as we get ready to end our time together.
Speaker 1:I went through seasons in my life where I've tried to do my devotion time at different times of the day. It just depends on the season of life, right? So there have been certain seasons when my girls would get up really, really early and it was just impossible for me to have a devotional life unless I was going to get up at like 3 am, and that wasn't going to happen, right, and so I'd do my devotion time toward the evening, and then there was times when my girls would stay up later in the evening, that I would move my devotion time to early in the morning, you know, and it just changes. But one of the things I started to notice is that when I started to slow down in my Bible reading and I wasn't just trying to read my Bible to conquer it for the day, but I would do things like podcasts, like this, where I would just study the scripture and read it and talk about it with somebody, and then I would take time and I would pray and just spend time worshiping God that, even if my life was a mess, that time with God became like a road through the desert. It became like a oasis moment that, when everything else was crazy, that was right.
Speaker 1:Can I encourage you? If you're going through a difficult season, can I encourage you with two things? First of all, god's word to you is don't give up, don't be afraid, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies and he's coming to save you, and one of the best things you can do. Number two is to find time when you can create an oasis in the desert. To find time when you can create an oasis in the desert, when you can focus on spending time with God, not to get anything from Him, but just to spend time with Him and watch what it will do. It will encourage you, it will move in your life, so then you can minister to those who are weak and then, when you're weak, they can minister back to you. Here's my question to you what is some time you could set aside, maybe tomorrow, and have a time when you can be alone with God for just a few moments and not ask Him for anything, just spend time with Him, just enjoying the fact that he is your Heavenly Father. When can you do that? Will it be in the morning? Will it be in the evening? Will it be on your lunch break? Whatever it is, make a plan to do it tomorrow and let us know in the YouTube comments or on the Facebook group how it went.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's pray, god. Thank you so much for today. Thank you that you are with us more than we can imagine and your word says that we are to not be afraid, we are to not give up because you, god, are coming to destroy our enemies and you are coming to save us. I'm so thankful that you are more faithful than we can imagine and I pray, holy Spirit, that you will give us the wisdom to know when we can set aside time to create highways in the desert, to create oasis places where we can spend time with you.
Speaker 1:Recalibrate reset course correct. Find that perspective that you are with us and because you are with us, recalibrate reset course correct. Find that perspective that you are with us and because you are with us, all things are possible. We celebrate you today In Jesus' name. We pray Amen and amen. Well, let's say our memory verse together Isaiah 12, verse 2, god has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord is my strength and my song. He has given me the victory. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow. For Isaiah, chapter 36.
