And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35:10

We’ve all had moments in our lives when we let out “the big sigh.” Maybe it was a sigh of frustration in a person or situation. Maybe it was a sigh of sadness or recognition over a loss. Maybe it was a sigh simply uttered out of sheer exhaustion with life itself. I have sighed them all, and so have you, no doubt.

Sighs like this are signs that we know that sin is in the world and perhaps has gotten the best of us. The good news is that sighs like this can actually become prayers and pleas to God for help. And even better news is that God hears our sighs through the work of the Holy Spirit, as it says in Romans 8:26: ”The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.”

While our sighing many continue in this world, I was struck by the phrasing “sorrow and sighing shall flee away” from Isaiah. We can look forward with joy to that day when there will be no more sighing, only endless praise to the Lord!