Isaiah 61

The first three verses of this chapter are great.

61:1 The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me,
because the Lord has chosen me.
He has commissioned me to encourage the poor,
to help the brokenhearted,
to decree the release of captives,
and the freeing of prisoners,
61:2 to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor,
the day when our God will seek vengeance,
to console all who mourn,
61:3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,
by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,
oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning,
a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement.
(NET)

The applied to Isaiah as he wrote about the future delivery of Israel from captivity and of the comming of Christ. The verses were the very work of Christ as he was here on earth and to this day. However, as I read this tonight God was telling me that "The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon ME, because the Lord has chosen ME." (emphasis added) He sends me "to encourage the poor,to help the brokenhearted,to decree the release of captives,and the freeing of prisoners, to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor,the day when our God will seek vengeance,to console all who mourn, to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning,a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement." My life, my daily life needs to be proclaiming Christ and setting people free from their bondage. My life now even while I am in school needs to proclaim Christ. I can't sit on my hands waiting until the day my training is finished and I go to a mission field to become a missionary. I live amoung the lost and God's passion and desire is to them saved as well as the lost in foreign countries.

The second portion of the chapter that moved me tonight was verse 10

61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
I will be overjoyed because of my God.
For he clothes me in garments of deliverance;
he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication.
I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would;
I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry.
(NET)

Praise God that he clothed me with deliverance, salvation and righteousness. For I have no righteousness of my own that I could wear. I would stand naked before the Almighty God if Christ had not provided my righteousness.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from The NETBible® Copyright© 2005 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. www.bible.org
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