Isaiah 35:8-10   ⁸ 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 traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.  ⁹ 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.  ¹⁰ 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.

We all have some idea of a utopian society: one in which everyone is safe and provided for. We wish that we could have a world that is not filled with evil and hatred. But, even we find ourselves having bad feelings toward others and feeling like we are entitled to more.

The only one who can bring this kind of peace and provision to the world is God. That is the reason Jesus came into this world and is the promise of the scriptures. Only God can make us clean. Only God can change our hearts. Only God can move us to love and provide for those who were once our enemies or those we do not know.

We need to pray that God’s Spirit would move in all of our hearts, that Jesus’ love would envelope everyone in the world. We also need to act: to reach out in love to those who are poor and oppressed, to reach out in peace to those whom we call our enemies, to reach out in faith and share the gospel good news. God does provide.

Lord, send us your peace and provision. Let us love as you love and spread that love to the world. Amen.