Twenty-ninth Mountain Peak
"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." Isaiah 55:11—13
"M Y WORD SHALL not return unto me void" v. ]]. Whatever God has spoken to any one of us. will one day be fulfilled. If you have received the word of God by faith, though it may take many years for its fulfilment, yet a day will come when it will bring forth fruit. For example we see trees growing on the mountains which we never saw when we first visited that area. How did they come ihere? The birds of the air while flying dropped the seed picked up on the mountain side, into the mountain cracks, and as the water found its way down the mountain side, the life in the seed enabled it to sprout and the ever-expanding cracks gave more space for the tree to to grow. The word of God is like !his. and when it enters a man's heart, it will one day surely bring forth fruit and this word gives us strength to hope even after many years. Whether in school or college or anywhere else, we will be strengthened by remembering that word. This has been true in the lives of many.
v. 12 "For ye shall go out with joy". When we receive the Word of God by faith we not only rejoice ourselves but we are able to share that joy with others. We go out with joy because of the word we have received. We take the same word to those who are rejected or discouraged and say to them, "When I was discouraged the Word spoke to me through these few words and I have been strengthened and encouraged". Thus wherever we go we will be spreading the joy and happiness which God has given us. and more souls will be brought to the Lord.
Isa. 55:13, When the people of God came to Canaan. the whole land was very beautiful, but again they rebelled against God and disobeyed Him and the land became barren and remained such for 1900 years. According to the Lord's promise the Jews recently began to return to Palestine, from ninety different countries. In the second world war Hitler killed more than 6,000,000 Jews in Germany. In Palestine today thousands of trees are being planted, for the Jews have decided to plant trees in memory of the six million Jews that were killed. Thus the promises of God have been literally fulfilled v. 13. Palestine was barren and the land was full of thorn bushes and briers, but the Jews who returned to Palestine from the scattered countries have already planted 4,000,000 trees beside myrtle trees and fig trees. Foreigners visiting the country from America, Europe etc. Often buy a tree for Rs. 50/- or 100/- to be planted in their memory.
Spiritually we loo arc full of thorns and oners in our thoughts, words and deeds. We have been doing harm and damage to ourselves and our life has been full of filth, enmity, hatred, jealousy, pride and impurity. But here God promises that all these can be taken away and replaced by the myrtle tree and fig tree, making our lives fruitful, and full of the graces and virtues of the Lord Jesus Christ, that one day we may be like Him. Upon the earth we can live a life of victory by refusing to give way to thorns and briers, and by speaking words of comfort, joy and happiness, to help others.