Joyfully Prophetic
Advent, Week Three
On Christmas Eve 1914, something extraordinary happened on the Western Front of World War I. After months of brutal fighting with only a football field of no man's land between them—a field filled with corpses and the stench of death—British and German soldiers heard something unexpected: singing.
What began as one German soldier's voice soon became a chorus of enemies singing "Silent Night" together. By Christmas morning, soldiers from both sides climbed out of their trenches into the deadly no man's land. They shook hands, shared photos of their families, buried the dead together, and even played soccer. In the midst of hell on earth, joy broke through.
Where Does Joy Come From in Impossible Circumstances?
This remarkable story raises a profound question: where does joy like that come from? How do you sing carols in a war zone? How do you find common ground with your enemy?
The answer lies in understanding that joy begins in the imagination—seeing what God sees before it actually appears, envisioning what could be rather than accepting what is.
What Does the Bible Say About Joy in Desert Places?
The prophet Isaiah speaks directly to this reality in chapter 35, verses 1-2:
The desert and the dry land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom like the crocus.
They will burst into bloom,
and rejoice with joy and singing.
They will receive the glory of Lebanon,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the Lord’s glory,
the splendor of our God.
When Isaiah wrote these words, the people of Israel faced destruction. The Assyrian empire was bearing down on them, and Jerusalem would soon be under siege. Everything was falling apart. Yet Isaiah told them to imagine the desert blooming.
The Role of Prophetic Vision
A prophet's work isn't primarily about predicting the future—it's about speaking into present circumstances and proclaiming God's vision of what He wants to do, promises to do, and will do through His people when they remain faithful.
Isaiah wasn't engaging in wishful thinking. He was seeing what God already sees, trusting in God's goodness. Because God looks at deserts and sees gardens. God looks at the impossible and sees miracles. God looks at death and sees resurrection.
How Can We See What God Sees?
Maybe you're in a relationship that feels bone dry—barely speaking to your spouse, disconnected from an adult child, or experiencing months of silence with a friend. Can you begin to imagine a blossoming flower in the midst of that relational desert?
Perhaps there's a dream in your life that seems dead, or you've lost hope and stopped praying. Can you begin to imagine new life springing from those parched places?
God specializes in bringing life where there is none. He brings color to the black and white parts of our lives.
How Does Joy Strengthen Us in Weakness?
Isaiah 35:3-4 continues:
Strengthen the weak hands,
and support the unsteady knees.
Say to those who are panicking:
“Be strong! Don’t fear!
Here’s your God,
coming with vengeance;
with divine retribution
God will come to save you.”
God knows our humanity and weaknesses. He understands what it's like to have feeble hands and knees that give way. Yet He gives us a promise: Your God will come.
We strengthen each other by helping one another imagine God's future. Like a hiking companion who encourages you to keep climbing by saying, "Just imagine the view from the top," we can give each other injections of imagination to see what's coming if we remain faithful and take the next step.
Borrowing Someone Else's Vision
Sometimes we need to borrow someone else's imagination until our own vision comes into focus. This is why we gather together, especially during seasons like Advent—to help each other imagine hope, peace, and joy where it seems impossible.
What Does Complete Transformation Look Like?
Isaiah paints a vivid picture of transformation in verses 5-7:
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
and the ears of the deaf will be cleared.
Then the lame will leap like the deer,
and the tongue of the speechless will sing.
Waters will spring up in the desert,
and streams in the wilderness.
The burning sand will become a pool,
and the thirsty ground, fountains of water.
The jackals’ habitat, a pasture;
grass will become reeds and rushes.
This isn't just about physical healing—it's about complete transformation:
- When the blind see: It's about seeing truth we couldn't see before, imagining that God's view of you is more accurate than your own view of yourself
- When the deaf hear: It's about hearing God's voice, imagining that His truth is louder than the condemning voices around you
- When the lame leap: It's about being free from what's keeping you stuck, imagining that you're not defined by your past
- When the mute shout: It's about finding your voice, imagining that your story matters and will be used by God to impact others
How Can Joy Transform Our Daily Lives?
What if we could live with such imagination-fueled, God-trusting joy that people couldn't help but wonder about its source? Picture someone facing a cancer diagnosis but still laughing wholeheartedly, or someone going through divorce but still holding onto hope.
When you live a joy-infused life in joy-killing circumstances, you're being prophetic—showing the world what God's future looks like.
What Is the Highway of Holiness?
Isaiah concludes with a beautiful image in verses 8-10: '
A highway will be there.
It will be called The Holy Way.
The unclean won’t travel on it,
but it will be for those walking on that way.[b]
Even fools won’t get lost on it;
no lion will be there,
and no predator will go up on it.
None of these will be there;
only the redeemed will walk on it.
The Lord’s ransomed ones will return and enter Zion with singing,
with everlasting joy upon their heads.
Happiness and joy will overwhelm them;
grief and groaning will flee away.
Imagine joy sitting on your head like a crown—not just as something you feel, but as your very identity. Imagine joy chasing you down while sorrow runs in the opposite direction.
Life Application
This week, challenge yourself to live as a person of divine imagination. Here are three practical steps:
First, identify a desert place in your life and begin to imagine it blooming with color, flowing water, and new life. Pray and ask God to bring transformation, then begin living as if that place is already filled with His life and color.
Second, help someone else begin to imagine an alternative story for their life. Be the person who helps them envision joy, peace, and hope where they currently see only difficulty.
Third, find a place where God is already working—where new life has come and new colors have replaced the black and white—and celebrate it joyfully.
Remember that joy isn't always loud and rambunctious. Sometimes joy is simply the peaceful acknowledgment of what God has done and continues to do in and through us.
Ask yourself: What desert places in my life need God's imagination? Who in my circle needs help envisioning God's better future? How can I be used by God to make a life-changing impact on someone else, just as others have impacted me?
This Advent season, learn to see with kingdom eyes rather than human eyes. Remember that imagining God's future is the secret to experiencing His joy right now, and leaning into joy today helps us live in ways that bring about God's future for our lives and our world.
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Steven E Fairbanks
Steven E Fairbanks
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