I love that God's Word contains so much stuff that is applicable to our lives today. Wherever we turn in it, there is something for us to learn from it. Isaiah 61:1-4 is a passage full of amazing truths about Jesus's ministry in our lives.
"to comfort all who mourn and to provide for those who grieve in Zion" (vs. 2-3)
God is the greatest Comforter. He can ultimately provide the greatest comfort in the midst of anything that happens in our lives. Paul tells us this in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. God is the God of comfort in the midst of trials. God will provide what we need to get through when we are in the midst of hard times.
"to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes" (vs. 3)
God takes what is a mess and destroyed in our lives and makes it into something beautiful. It's God's specialty.
When God does this in our lives, it is an incredible gift from Him. A gift that He bestows on us when we are least deserving of it.
"the oil of joy instead of mourning" (vs. 3)
God wants us to have true joy in our lives. He wants to replace our mourning with His joy. His joy isn't dependent on circumstances, but is in the midst of whatever is happening.
It's not about being happy. It's about a joy that goes beyond what is happening. It's a joy that comes from knowing God and the freedom that He brings, not what life is like in the moment.
"a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair" (vs. 3)
Praising God is the ultimate antidote to despair in our lives. God wants to give us the ability to choose to praise Him in the midst of everything in life. When we choose to praise Him, that is when we discover the joy that is not dependent on circumstances, but that comes from our relationship with Him.
This part of Isaiah 61:1-4 paints a beautiful picture of what it looks like to have allowed Jesus to bind up broken hearts and bring us freedom from our captivity.
Previous posts in this series:
Message of Freedom
Broken-hearted Captives Freed
The Year of the Lord's Favour
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
The Year of the Lord's Favour
The next part of Isaiah 61:1-4 is half what sounds like good news and half what doesn't. The first part is great, but the second part sounds potentially scary.
"to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour" (vs. 2)
I like this. I can live life in this.
God has won! We can declare Jesus' victory over sin and death on the cross! This victory means that God's blessings are poured out into the lives of those who choose to follow Him - although those blessing may not always look the way we think they should.
In the Old Testament, the year of the Lord's favour was also known as the Year of Jubilee. A time every 50 years when all Israelites who had become slaves would be set free and all land that had been sold to pay a debt would be returned to its original owners. Debts were completely forgiven.
This is exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross. He forgave all our debts and restored to us what was ours in the beginning.
"and the day of vengeance for our God" (vs. 2)
It's tempting to skip this point. We don't like to talk about this aspect of God's character. But it goes hand-in-hand with Jesus' victory over sin and death on the cross.
In that moment, Satan's power was destroyed. And he will be ultimately defeated when Jesus comes again. Jesus' entire life and ministry pointed to God's ultimate win.
This really is the hope of what Jesus came to earth for. Jesus came to bring God's ultimate victory - to reconcile us to God and restore our relationship with Him.
The first two posts in this series can be found here:
Message of Freedom
Broken-hearted Captives Freed
"to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour" (vs. 2)
I like this. I can live life in this.
God has won! We can declare Jesus' victory over sin and death on the cross! This victory means that God's blessings are poured out into the lives of those who choose to follow Him - although those blessing may not always look the way we think they should.
In the Old Testament, the year of the Lord's favour was also known as the Year of Jubilee. A time every 50 years when all Israelites who had become slaves would be set free and all land that had been sold to pay a debt would be returned to its original owners. Debts were completely forgiven.
This is exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross. He forgave all our debts and restored to us what was ours in the beginning.
"and the day of vengeance for our God" (vs. 2)
It's tempting to skip this point. We don't like to talk about this aspect of God's character. But it goes hand-in-hand with Jesus' victory over sin and death on the cross.
In that moment, Satan's power was destroyed. And he will be ultimately defeated when Jesus comes again. Jesus' entire life and ministry pointed to God's ultimate win.
This really is the hope of what Jesus came to earth for. Jesus came to bring God's ultimate victory - to reconcile us to God and restore our relationship with Him.
The first two posts in this series can be found here:
Message of Freedom
Broken-hearted Captives Freed
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Broken-hearted Captives Freed
This post is a continuation of a previous one on Isaiah 61:1-4. There is just so much in these verses, that it takes time to dig into them.
"to bind up the broken-hearted" (vs. 1)
It seems like the pain from having our hearts broken is a given in life. Not just the pain of a romantic relationship breaking up.
When our hearts are broken, we have two choices about what we can do. The first choice we can make is to build a wall of protection around our broken hearts. We keep people out so they can't hurt us. We work hard at not getting emotionally involved with people or events to protect our hearts . . . or, at least, we think we're protecting ourselves. That becomes a lonely and isolated way to live.
Or, we can choose to allow Jesus to do exactly what this verse says He came to do . . . bind up our broken-hearts. We can take the pieces of our hearts to Jesus and allow Him to put the broken pieces back together. It is what He came to do and He will, if we let Him.
Have you taken Jesus the pieces of your broken heart so He can bind it back together?
What is keeping you from allowing Jesus to bind up your broken heart?
Will you let Him today?
"to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners" (vs. 1)
God wants His people to live in freedom and in the light. However, we have an enemy who desires to keep us in captivity and in the dark. Jesus came to bring us freedom and the light of the truth in our lives.
This is where we have to do something. Jesus declares it and He removes that which was holding us captives. But then we have to get up and walk. Jesus opens the prison doors that have kept us in captivity and breaks the chains, but we have to get up and walk out of the prison cell into the light.
Are there areas of your life where you need to allow Jesus to bring the freedom that comes from the light of the truth?
Will you let Him today?
Are there areas of your life where Jesus has freed you and not you need to get up and walk out of that prison cell?
Will you do that today?
To read the first post on this passage, click here.
"to bind up the broken-hearted" (vs. 1)
It seems like the pain from having our hearts broken is a given in life. Not just the pain of a romantic relationship breaking up.
- The pain of any relationship ending.
- The pain of life not working out how we wanted.
- The pain of disappointment.
- The pain of life throwing some sort of challenge at you that isn't pleasant.
- The pain of someone doing or saying something to hurt you.
When our hearts are broken, we have two choices about what we can do. The first choice we can make is to build a wall of protection around our broken hearts. We keep people out so they can't hurt us. We work hard at not getting emotionally involved with people or events to protect our hearts . . . or, at least, we think we're protecting ourselves. That becomes a lonely and isolated way to live.
Or, we can choose to allow Jesus to do exactly what this verse says He came to do . . . bind up our broken-hearts. We can take the pieces of our hearts to Jesus and allow Him to put the broken pieces back together. It is what He came to do and He will, if we let Him.
Have you taken Jesus the pieces of your broken heart so He can bind it back together?
What is keeping you from allowing Jesus to bind up your broken heart?
Will you let Him today?
"to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners" (vs. 1)
God wants His people to live in freedom and in the light. However, we have an enemy who desires to keep us in captivity and in the dark. Jesus came to bring us freedom and the light of the truth in our lives.
This is where we have to do something. Jesus declares it and He removes that which was holding us captives. But then we have to get up and walk. Jesus opens the prison doors that have kept us in captivity and breaks the chains, but we have to get up and walk out of the prison cell into the light.
Are there areas of your life where you need to allow Jesus to bring the freedom that comes from the light of the truth?
Will you let Him today?
Are there areas of your life where Jesus has freed you and not you need to get up and walk out of that prison cell?
Will you do that today?
To read the first post on this passage, click here.
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