Joy of the Redeemed

Strengthen the feeble hands,

steady the knees that give way;

say to those with fearful hearts,

"Be strong, do not fear;

your God will come,

he will come with vengeance;

with divine retribution

he will come to save you."

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened

and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

- Isaiah 35 3-4

This passage is titled the Joy of the Redeemed. The whole chapter is amazing and inspiring but I picked these two short verses because it captured my heart the most. I think back to the days before Christ. So much fear, so much pride, and so many protective walls that I built up for myself. I even forgot how to smile and my reputation was built to guard my heart from an unforgiving world that would attack any weaknesses in me.

But Christ comes and he saves us. He comes and strengthens our trembling hands and our shaking knees. He makes us stand up straight, not out of arrogance or false pride in ourselves but because of the understanding of the love that He has for us, because of the fact that we know that God is with us, we stand firm. He comes and opens our eyes and ears to things that we never knew existed. We once thought we knew it all. We thought by reading, studying, and experiencing we were above it all but He comes and shows us that the knowledge that comes from this world is foolishness and the scales on our eyes is lifted and we are renewed through the mind to see the things of Him. There is no more fear. There is no more doubt. There is only strength and confidence. Boldness that only those who are called can have. Boldness not in ourselves but in the fact that God has promised us that where ever we go whatever we do He will be with us and He will come and rescue us. This is the source of my confidence.