The year of the Lord’s favour
Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:
What did I like about today’s passage?
I love the breakthrough that God makes clearer in this passage. From the previous chapters, it might appear that God’s high expectations of his people mean that we somehow have to earn our way into his good favour. But the flow of Isaiah’s revelation from God reminds me that no-one called for justice, “so [God’s] own arm achieved salvation for him.” We didn’t deserve it, but he rescued us from our own self-centred traps.
This must have been a puzzle to Israel. A promise of a new kingdom, new life, delivered by God rather than earned through struggle, yet leading to much-changed lives and attitudes. When would all this happen? How would they know when God acted?
You might know that Jesus quoted Isaiah chapter 61 (in Luke 4:18) to apply to himself. These transformational promises apply to us when we have faith in him.
What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
God wants huge change in the world and in the attitudes and abilities of people who believe in him. He knows that we cannot puzzle this out for ourselves, so he sent Jesus to show and empower us to live differently, hope for more, seek what God wants and be used by him to deliver it.
In some ways, God works through believers to bring encouragement and comfort. But it’s not all about words. God also equips believers to share love in practical ways and to be “a display of his splendour”, big and solid like oak trees.
This would begin with Jesus and Israel for other nations to observe. But it has ended up sweeping the globe as Isaiah foretold centuries before Jesus. God speaks, prophets listen and pass words along faithfully, and the world can be amazed by God’s power.
What am I going to do differently as a result?
As much as this regular format tends to prompt me to make a plan and a promise, I think I simply want to spend time with Jesus this Easter weekend. Let’s see what he wants to say!
Who am I going to share this with?
I will do this with my family!