Don Graham Revival Ministries

"A Rose In the Desert"

Isaiah 35

[In celebration of my eleventh year in revival ministry the following message is gratefully offered.]

Following my resignation as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Center Point, while still in the pastorium for four months (Spring, '95), regularly I'd take my Bible, go to the Birmingham Public Library, find a remote spot, and read. Not knowing what the future held, broken before the Lord, seeking His face I found myself daily pouring over Isaiah. In those days the Lord gave me the following message as a promise that He was going to bring out of the desert experience of my life a garden of roses. From Isaiah 35, I send this forth praying it will find its way to someone else currently experiencing a desert in their own life or church.

At this writing of Isaiah, the northern kingdom has already been destroyed. Isaiah has prophesied of the ending destruction of the southern kingdom and now he looks beyond the captivity and sees the pilgrims returning from exile and slavery and promises that out of their desert God plans to grow a rose garden. Notice that in the restoration of the desert, there will be...

I. ROSES IN THE DESERT (vs. 1-2)

The desert will become a rose garden! Where nothing could grow now the land will flourish and "blossom abundantly." Watch the patriots as they now take their harps down from the willow trees where they have hung silently for seventy years and "rejoice even with joy and singing." (v.2) As the roses begin to blossom in such an impossible environment the people are allowed to see "the glory of the Lord" (v.2) and that "solitary" place breaks forth with great celebration.

II. RENEWAL IN THE DESERT (vs. 3-4a)

In the desert places of fear, men will be emboldened and given courage as their "weak hands" are strengthened and their "feeble knees" are confirmed. (cf. Hebrews 12:12)

III. REJOICING IN THE DESERT (vs. 2, 10) (cf. Psalm 125 & 137)

In a land that produced no song, now there is rejoicing and joy and singing for one simple, yet profound reason: they have seen "the glory of the Lord." From such a sight singing causes sorrow and sighing to "flee away."

IV. RECOMPENSE IN THE DESERT (v. 4b)

As God comes in "vengeance" and "recompense" He will make all the crooked things straight -"He will come and save you."

V. RIVERS IN THE DESERT (vs. 5-7)

Out of the parched ground pools spring up and out of a thirsty land water springs forth forming "streams in the desert." Where the life giving streams begin to flow the blind are made to see, the deaf to hear and the lame begin to leap about as a hart.

VI. ROADWAY IN THE DESERT (v. 8)

This roadway is "the highway of holiness." It is cut out of the wilderness of man's sin by a holy God to be traveled only by those who walk in "holiness, apart from which no man shall see God." "The unclean shall not pass over it."

VII. RETURN IN THE DESERT (vs. 9-10) (ACTS 19:1-20)

The redeemed, the ransomed, shall walk there-it is a "crimson way". (I John 1:7)

"Saved by the blood of the Crucified One
All hail the Father, all hail to the Son,
All hail to the Spirit, the great Three in One.
Saved by the blood of the Crucified One!"

This remarkable vision that Isaiah received of the people of Israel returning to Jerusalem is a vivid picture of the work of revival in men's hearts. Perhaps you feel your life at the moment is best described as a desert. Take courage! God is prepared to transform your desert into a veritable rose garden. On April 4, 1995, shut-up with the Lord in that library hiding place, God gave me a promise that He was about to do just that for me. A few days later the Life Action people called us, invited us to join them and during that memorable fourteen months of humbling and stretching and challenging, God led us to launch this itinerant ministry of revival. So, look up my friend, bow down to the Father, wait upon Him and shortly you, too, will play that harp in your Rose Garden!

God Bless!!!