Charles Spurgeon Commentary Isaiah 41:19

"I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine, and the box-tree together:" — Isaiah 41:19 (ASV)

I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:

Making a paradise of streams of water and lovely trees, evergreen trees of the most pleasing appearance, and of great variety. See what God can do. Where there is a wilderness, where there were hills and valleys, and all was dry and parched, He makes woods and forests, rivers and fountains. He can do all things.

Oh, that we had faith in Him! But we forget Him: we do not turn to Him; we look everywhere but to God; we try every method except that of trusting in the living God. Have we a God? If so, why do we act as we sometimes do?

Martin Luther was a very cheerful man, as a rule; but he had terrible fits of depression. He was at one time so depressed that his friends recommended him to go away for a change of air, to see if he could get relief. He went away; but he came home as miserable as ever; and when he went into the sitting-room, his wise wife Kate, Catherine von Bora, was sitting there, dressed in black, and her children around her, all in black. "Oh, oh!" said Luther, "Who is dead?" "Why," said she, "Doctor, have you not heard that God is dead?

My husband, Martin Luther, would never be in such a state of mind if he had a living God to trust in." Then he burst into a hearty laugh, and said, "Kate, you are a wise woman. I have been acting as if God were dead, and I will do so no more. Go and take off your black." If God is alive, why are we discouraged? If we have a God to look to, why are we cast down? Let us rejoice and be glad together; for God will do all that He has promised.