Isaiah 35 vs. 1 (KJV)
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
Some of the greatest stories of survival have come from those who have emerged from unimaginable places. The wilderness is an uncultivated place; there are no roads or pathways, and the brush is thick and difficult to pass through. The desert, on the other hand, is a vast place, hot and absent of greenery, shade, and life. Both can make us feel like there is no way out.
Are you a survivor? Have you emerged from places that, to others, seemed impossible, a place that surrounded you with great difficulties and disappointments, a place that was barren and dry and provided you with little to no nourishment? Yet, here you are, still standing.
There is a highway that passes through these places of great hindrances and difficulty; it is called the “highway of holiness.” It is not found in places of plenty, beauty, or strength but in areas of need, perplexity, and weakness. Few people have the courage to travel a highway that can only be found in the most deserted places; most of us never volunteered for such a journey but were thrust into it instead by circumstances unforeseen. Yet, there on the road that you thought would lead you to your end, a flower blooms with hope, one that could only have been born out of adversity. These flowers carry the fragrance of perseverance, humility, compassion, and integrity.
This is the road less traveled, where many give up because it’s too hard, but those who endure will find that the trail leads not to your destruction but, instead, to a place where you can finally rest.
