The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.The wilderness and the dry land will be glad. The desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
4 sermons cite this verse
… I just went nuts. I thought, man, this is the coolest chapter in the world. One of. All right. Verse one, the wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. Now, first of all, understand what language like this in the prophets is always talking, using natural things to describe a spiritual condition. All right? Somebody talks about rain or rivers or pools, things like that. That's almost always has something to do with the invasion of the Holy Spirit bringing life to where there was death. Desolation, waste places, that's the barrenness that ends up oftentimes in people's hearts and people's lives. All right? So just make sure that you make that translation. All right? Verse two, It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the excellency of our God. Picture this. …
He would not have them do so for their own sakes. Genuine Christians may have two Heavens if they will—a Heaven below, and a Heaven above—we may drink of both the upper and the nether springs if God's Grace shall enable us to believe in God and to believe also in Jesus Christ. So let not trouble be your trouble, for it is an evil thing for yourself. Further, do not let it be your trouble because it leads to evil to your fellow Christians. They see your mournful face and they are very apt to catch the infection. Some of you remember dear old Mr. Dransfield, our beloved elder who has gone to Heaven. Whenever he used to come into this building, it was like the shining of the sun! On a Lord's-Day morning when he came into the vestry, if it was a heavy, foggy morning, he would say to me, "Well, my dear Pastor, the morning is not very bright, but we can be very happy in our souls even on such a morning as this is. The fog cannot get into our hearts, blessed be God!" And then he would be sure to tell me some cheering thing that had happened during the week—some soul had been converted—or something that would help to gladden us all before we began the service. I have heard of deacons who have always been sure, on the Sabbath morning, to tell the minister any unpleasant thing that had happened during the week—so as to depress his spirit in order that they might feel duly miserable under his ministry during the rest of the morning. Never do that, Brothers and Sisters, but be bright and cheerful for the sake of your fellow Christians. I always think there is quite enough misery in the world without my making any more. There are more than enough wild beasts to howl in this wide wilderness, so I need not do any howling. Let us be among the people of whom it is written, "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them." As God's great caravan of saints goes traveling through the Sahara of this world, let them make the clarion of holy joy ring out triumphant notes till the desert itself shall "rejoice even with joy and singing." …
Again, we see something else, namely, that the curse has also gone from the world. The darkness was on Christ and the darkness was also over all the land. Now when the darkness went away from Christ, it also went away from the land. I have already said that there is a sympathy between Nature and its Maker. When the curse fell upon Him, "without whom was not anything made that was made," it was on Nature, too. Now Christ has put that away. I do not know whether you ever indulge in the sweet thought, but one likes, sometimes, to revel in it. "The creature itself also shall be delivered from bondage." There is a day coming in which this world shall not bring forth thorns and thistles, in which it shall not be a wilderness—a howling and a barren place—but it shall be literally true that, "the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." And though the prophecy bears a spiritual meaning, yet it shall also bear a literal one, that "instead of the thorn shall come up the myrtle, and instead of the briar shall come up the fir tree and the box tree together," for the Lord God, who cleared His Son from the curse, will also clear the world from the curse and revoke the sentence, "Cursed shall the ground be for your sake," for earth shall yet again be blessed! Is it not written that Christ was revealed to destroy the works of the devil? And as it was one of the works of the devil to pollute and defile this world, so shall it be one of the works of Christ to cleanse and purify it! This world has been the theater of sin, but it will be cleansed and purged, and made the theater of holiness! "I looked," says John, "and I saw a new Heaven and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness." Perhaps there will be purifying fires, according to the word of Peter, "The elements shall melt with a fervent heat, and the earth, also, and all the works that are therein shall be burnt up." And then afterwards, once again refitted, freed from the last relic of man's evil doings, there shall be heard the shout, "The Tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell among them! Hallelujah! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!" May such happy days soon come! We expect them because the darkness was rolled away when Jesus died! This, however, is but speculative. We will, therefore, turn to something that is more solid. …
"Why should the children of a King Go mourning all their days?" "Ah!" says one, "but this is a howling wilderness." Yes, if you howl in it, it will howl in response—but if you sing, it will sing too! Remember the ancient promise, "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose."— "Then let our songs abound, And every tear be dry— We're marching through Immanuel's ground To fairer worlds on high." And once again, do you not think that a dull, heavy murmuring spirit is a great hindrance to the unconverted?If they find you in this state, they will say, "This person's religion does not appear to do him much good." Worldlings often say that Christians are the most miserable people in the world. I think that is a great mistake on their part and that they do not really know us, for if they knew some of us, they would find that we have cheerful spirits notwithstanding a good deal that might depress us. Do not any of you Christians let the worldling say that Christ is a hard Master! I should not like to drive a horse that was all skin and bone, for people would say that it was because his master kept him short of corn. I should not like to have in my house, a servant who was always wringing her hands and whose eyes were usually full of tears. Visitors would say, "Her mistress is a vixen, you may be sure of that." And if professing Christians are always seen to be in a wretched, unhappy state, people are sure to say, "Ah, they serve a hard Master! The ways of Christ are ways of unpleasantness and all His paths are misery and wretchedness." …