The Wounded
I really like this... I want to park my soul, my mind, and my spirit over this passage. It's also found in Luke 4, after Jesus spoke these words to the guys in the synagogue in Nazareth, turning to each other saying, "isn't this Joesph's son?" They even went as far as to stone Him! ...For His words... I don't know about stoning someone for something they said. We're pretty much walk away from someone we don't agree with, I guess things were different back then. What would it take for you or I to stone someone?
Isaiah 61:1-3. "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to:
Preach good news to the poor,
bind up the brokenhearted,
proclaim freedom for the captives,
release from darkness for the prisoners,
proclaim the year of the LORD'S favor,
to comfort all who mourn,
This supposes that we are in tough places. That we can "hang our heads" with others that are not as well off as we are. There is destruction in the lives of the poor, the brokenhearted, those who are captive, living in prison. They are living without hope, they are not the beautiful people in our eyes.
THEN... He goes on to say:
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair
"They will be called the "oaks of righteousness", a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor."
It seems there is a progression here, a job description for us, as we have the anointing of Christ upon us, actually IN US, Christ dwells in us, he calls us to love others. What does it look like to bestow a crown of beauty on another person? To anoint someone with the oil of gladness? To hand someone a garment of praise. I know that I have seen despair in the hearts of men and i have mourned with others, how often do you and I see hurting people?
We need to fellowship with others to see this, to share, to love on them the way that Jesus did. We may have to slow down a bit to do all that He has asked. Let's keep watch, ask the LORD to open you eyes to see and your ears to hear where He is working. Ask the LORD to draw you into Him, to love Jesus more then you love anything else He has given to you.
"A planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." Work it God's way so that His splendor is displayed and hope is restored.
Created over 2 years ago
