Envision Joy
Third Sunday of Advent. Sunday, December 14, 2025
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.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35:1-10
Dear friends,
This entire week of Advent focuses on joy. Whatever actions cause sorrow to God, the joy of the Lord our God remains fundamental to all of Scripture. It is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10), deep and enduring, regardless of our circumstances (2 Corinthians 6:10, James 1:2), and it is the very thing we experience in God’s presence (Psalm 16:11, Galatians 5:22).
For Isaiah, joy transforms all of creation, including us! He envisions a complete restoration where the wilderness becomes a garden and barren lands bloom like crocuses. God doesn’t just fix our brokenness—He heals others and transforms creation itself. Dry and exhausted areas turn into sources of joyful song. As we await Christ’s return, we work alongside God and remember that His salvation extends beyond our individual hearts to encompass all creation, offering renewal for every forsaken place.
As we travel toward the manger, Isaiah’s vision of the Holy Way calls us forward with hope. The redeemed will walk this highway, the ransomed will return with singing, and everlasting joy will crown their heads. This is the promise that sustains us in our waiting—that sorrow and sighing will not have the final word. The Christ child we await is the One who transforms desolate places into pools of living water, who makes highways through our impossibilities, and who brings such complete restoration that even creation itself joins in joyful song.
Let this Advent season inspire a renewed faith within you. With fresh eyes, observe where God wishes to bring healing—both for you and for our world. Where you see wilderness, God envisions a garden ready to bloom. In moments of weakness, God offers strength. And where despair seems to take hold, God is already preparing springs of joy to overflow. Pause for a moment to reflect on where these deserted places might be in your life and in the lives of others. Be an instrument of God’s joy in the world.
Hail to the Lord’s Anointed! Rejoice! He comes.
Watching and waiting,
Hail to the Lord’s Anointed, Great David’s greater Son! Hail, in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun! He comes to break oppression, To set the captive free, To take away transgression, And rule in equity.
He comes with succor speedy To those who suffer wrong, To help the poor and needy, And bid the weak be strong; To give them songs for sighing, Their darkness turn to light, Whose souls, condemned and dying, Were precious in His sight.
He shall come down like showers Upon the fruitful earth, And love, joy, hope, like flowers, Spring in His path to birth. Before Him on the mountains Shall peace, the herald, go; And righteousness in fountains From hill to valley flow.
James Montgomery (1821)
Third Sunday of Advent Readings: