“And those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” Isaiah 35:10 NIV
There is a kind of joy this world cannot offer and cannot take away—a joy not born from ease, but from redemption. Isaiah 35:10 gives us a glimpse of that joy, the kind that belongs to the rescued, the redeemed, the ones who have walked through wilderness and still kept walking.
This is not a joy that denies sorrow, but a joy of singing that outlasts it.
Notice the image: those the Lord has rescued will return. Not crawl, not limp in defeat—but a joy entering with singing. Their journey has not been easy, but it has been worth it. They wear joy like a crown—everlasting, not fleeting. And they are overtaken, not by grief or despair, but by gladness.
What a reversal. What a promise.
This joy is not postponed to heaven only—it begins now, in the hearts of those who trust the Rescuer. Jesus is our highway through the desert, our stream in dry places, our guide through every valley. And though sorrow may visit, it has no permanent address in the lives of those who follow Him.
Maybe today you feel weary from the road. Maybe sorrow still lingers at your doorstep. But lift your eyes—because joy is on the horizon. Gladness is running toward you. And the God who rescues is still writing your return story.
You are not forgotten, and you are not stuck. You are being led to a place where sighing flees, and the joy of singing fills the air. And one day—maybe sooner than you think—your sorrow will be a memory, and your joy will be unshakable.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You that You are the God who rescues, restores, and leads us home. When the road feels long and my heart feels heavy, remind me of the joy that awaits. Let Your everlasting gladness crown my life today—not because everything is perfect, but because You are with me. Teach me to sing, even while I’m still on the journey. Amen.