Devotional Thoughts Based on the Glory to God Hymnal

Isaiah 55:12

One of the joys of ministry is being with young people as they grow in faith. Over the decades, I have joined our youth groups over a dozen times at the Montreat Senior High Youth Conference. One of my favorite weeks at Montreat featured the same song at the end of each night’s worship service. It was a musical setting of Isaiah 55:12

¹² For you shall go out in joy,
and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall burst into song,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

In response to the benediction, the music and the singing and the clapping would start slowly,

You shall go out with joy
And be let forth with peace,
And the mountains and the hills
Will break forth before you.
There’ll be shouts of joy
And the trees of the fields
Will clap, will clap their hands.

Then the tempo would pick up

And the trees of the fields will clap their hands, (CLAP, CLAP)
And the trees of the fields will clap their hands, (CLAP, CLAP)
And the trees of the fields will clap their hands, (CALP, CLAP)

While you go out with joy.

Then, we would sing and clap though the song again – faster. By the end of the week, we would sing through time after time, and we would indeed go out with joy!

That’s a note about my encounter with this scripture in song. In the Glory to God Hymnal, there’s an EDITORS NOTE which says:

Generally understood to describe a second Exodus, this time from Babylon rather than from Egypt. This release of God’s people and their return to their own land gives rise to the joyful celebration involving all creation.

As we know that God claims us and loves us, we will go out with joy.

Prayer

Wonderful God, I will join the trees and the mountains and the hills as I add my voice in joyfully praising You for Your great love me. Amen.