Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Then the lame man shall leaf as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and steams in the desert. Isaiah 35:5 & 6 In the Providence of God my devotional reading for today included a sermon from Charles Haddon Spurgeon from the ten volume collection of his sermons entitled The Dumb Singing. (The Dumb Singing Volume 3 Spurgeons Sermons, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts, 2011, p. 119-137) I believe that todays reading was providential because the text which Spurgeon was preaching upon was one that came from a transitional point in Isaiahs Prophesy. Chapters 34 and 35 in Isaiah bring the first section of the Isaiahs prophesy to a close with a chapter pronouncing Gods judgement upon sinners and then a chapter in which the blessing of grace is described for those who believe. This is followed by four chapters which are descriptions of the historic events taking place as Isaiah is communicating his prophesy. Following this Isaiah transitions into the wonderful description of Gods grace which we find in chapters 40 through 66 which in so many ways is an exploration of the means, methods and motives of Gods work in our world. Why providential? I am writing this during the days between Christmas and New Years. Christmas is in many ways one of the high points of the year. So much of our attention is focused upon the coming of this one day. As the day draws close we find ourselves thinking that it is a day which brings another year to a fitting close. As a disciple of the LORD Jesus Christ this day takes on greater significance as a reminder and celebration of the Incarnation. God gave His Son for us. This event which ultimately includes all that our Redeemer did for us has tremendous significance for us. Earlier in his prophesy Isaiah tells us that The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. (Isaiah 9:2) In many ways the celebration of Christmas is a focusing upon that light. We find ourselves drawn to the light of Christ as those who are seeing that the significance of the year in which we are living is found only in the Redeeming love of God in Christ. When we get to Christmas and then into the transition to the New Year we discover that that light is pointing ahead to a New Year in which only that which is done in the grace of the Risen Christ will ever have an eternal significance. As Spurgeon proclaims these verses from Isaiah he tells us that the only thing that really matters is the grace of God. This grace is however something extraordinary. It is by grace that the tongue of the dumb sings. Notice Isaiah tells us of the powerful reach of this grace. Here is one who has never spoken. Never has a word been formed on his tongue. It has never been possible for him to speak. It will never be possible for this one to ever speak. Yet Isaiah cries out telling us that the impossible has indeed happened. This wordless person does not just begin to speak. They dont just begin to form a few halting, uncertain words. This person begins to sing the praises of their God. The impossible has happened. What Isaiah is telling us is that Gods Grace when it comes will come as a person who will meet us in that very place where we are most hopeless. We are in fact dead in our transgressions and sins. There is nothing that we as a dead person can ever do for ourselves. When we are lifeless there is nothing we can do for ourselves. It is in that time of impossibility that Gods grace acts doing the

impossible and bringing us to a life that is described as being holy unto the LORD. Such a life is lived only however by those who have been ransomed by the LORD. Jesus Himself tells us this when He teaches His disciples this in Mark 10:45, For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. In these days of transition as we look ahead to 2014 in the glow of the light of the gospel of Christ there is one question which we must ask ourselves. Have you been ransomed by Christ?