Exaltation

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.  Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” Isaiah 55:12-13 (ESV).

Isaiah Chapters 40-55 were addressed to God’s people in Babylonian exile in the sixth century B. C.-Isaiah used predictive prophecy to give the people hope that God will act to bring His blessings of restoration in a powerful way and so that all people will be aware of His actions.  It is stated thus in Isaiah 40:5:  “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”  Isaiah gives the promise of restoration in 55:12-13 (quoted above) and signifies a time of joy, great rejoicing, and even production again from the land that had been laid waste.

So far in my life I have not experienced exile like the Israelites knew in the Babylonian exile.  But I can identify with the exaltation expressed in Isaiah 55:12-13.  I had great determination to go to college and get a good education.  As I have told before in my personal testimony, I grew up on a farm in North Georgia.  My mother died when I was fourteen and it became my obligation to assume the leadership of house and home so far as cooking, cleaning, laundry, keeping the garden, preserving foods for winter use, and often cooking for several farm hands that assisted my father with seasonal work.  These duties were heavy for a teenager and oftentimes I was tempted to weaken in my efforts, to desist from working so hard, to allow my dream for an education to die.  But somehow a spirit within me kept determination alive and propelled me to do the necessary work that fell to me.  I attribute much of my determination and persistence to becoming a Christian at an early age.  Prayer became a vital and necessary part of my life, and as I set goals for myself, I would pray earnestly that I might work toward reaching them.  I was able to stay in school enough to make each grade successfully and even to excel.  Perhaps hard work at home helped me in the same manner to work hard at school, even though I could not always attend regularly, especially in “syrup-making” season in the fall when my help was sorely needed on the farm to cook for the work hands.

When my high school graduation time came, I was told by my teachers and principal that I was first honor graduate—valedictorian.  I could hardly believe it, for there were several with very high grade point averages in my class.  Then I began to have offers to colleges.  My pastor was instrumental in helping me to secure work and honors scholarships that virtually paid my way.  As I left my mountain home to realize this next journey in my life, higher education, it was as if the “mountains and the hills broke forth into singing, and the trees of the field clapped their hands for joy!”  I felt I could identify with the thorns of defeat being replaced by opportunity and the briers of disappointment being uprooted and replaced by goals that could be accomplished.  I learned to be thankful for every opportunity, determined with God’s help to seek His way and follow His path.  Yes, there have been times when I wavered and had to redirect my efforts, but I have found without a doubt that the words of Isaiah 40:29 are true:  “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has not might He increases strength.”  Praise be to God. –Ethelene Dyer Jones 07.07.2013