Isaiah 55 Study: What Lasting Joy Feels Like
“For you will go out with joy
And be led forth with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”
(Isaiah 55:12)
What does it really mean to thrive in a life with Christ? We hear it all the time in church. But it often feels like a mystical, pie-in-the-sky idea with no real substance.
Continuing our Isaiah 55 study, we see that all the previous verses lead up to this moment:
An invitation to choose life abundantly with Him (vs. 1-2)
An extended invitation towards those previously unchosen (vs. 3-5)
A call to choose God over lesser things because He’s ready to forgive (vs. 6-7)
A reminder He’s infinitely better than we could imagine and worthy of our trust (vs. 8-11)
Verse 12 says, “for you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace.” Everything God is calling us to accumulate in this promise of fullest joy and deepest peace. This is what it means to accept the offer to live a “life abundantly" with Him. God reveals our need and how He alone can satisfy it beyond anything we could dream up.
But remember - this is an invitation, not a given. The joy and peace God offers come to those who choose Him instead of settling for lesser things.
Sure, we can find joy and peace apart from Him, but it will never last or truly satisfy. We’ll be left wanting more and often feel more distraught than before. Our sorrow deepens when we see a taste of the joy and peace within reach but unable to fully grasp onto.
Imagine having worked all day long without water or food. At the end of the day you’re presented with a feast - all the delicious foods you could want are right before you, free for the taking. You take one bit in, the juicy fruits and soft crunch of the bread make you sit back in your chair – finally. But as you reach for your drink, you blink – and it’s all gone. That first bite was your last, and you’re more hungry than before.
Life without God can give us moments of enjoyment, but never the full feast. We might grow used to it and even feel content with what we have - but Isaiah 55 invites us to experience more.
Why is God different from other things we might enjoy in life? And how can He claim joy and peace in a world which operates in sin and injustice?
Every good thing we enjoy in life is created by God - for our delight. He cared very deeply that we wouldn’t just live in freedom but to enjoy life. He gives us gifts purely for our joy.
But since we can see them and usually touch them, it’s easy to misuse them. We begin to expect those gifts to do what they weren’t made for - and they begin to break.
People, animals, food, nature and possessions can bring joy - but they will never give us our identity. When we place our meaning and purpose in anything other than God, we start worshipping those things instead of Him. And when this happens, sin disrupts our lives.
Because sin is anything which keeps us from being with God - and what will give us what we want and need.
God designed us to worship Him and enjoy His gifts - not the other way around. Asking a telephone to wash your face or a rock to feed you makes no sense. Until we recognize what we’re worshipping besides God, we’ll only find fragments of joy and peace.
We’re not alone. All creation joins in to worship God and find joy in Him:
“The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”
When we find our purpose in God, we get to join all creation in worship of Him. Like the lilies of the field, the horses on the hills, and the fish in the sea - we move in joy and find our rest in Him.
What if we’ve been satisfied with very little? What if God has much more for us than what we’re currently accepted?
