Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Purpose

Last night at Beauty for Ashes Becky shared on the topic of purpose.  As she shared scriptures from Isaiah 61:1-3, Part of which became famous words spoken by Jesus in Luke 4. 


Every time I have heard this preached it has been tied to Jesus, but in the context of these scriptures it was not Jesus.  My mind went backwards in the scriptures knowing that while we read in chapter and verse that the Bible was not written that way. 


Isaiah 60:17-Isaih 61:3 I will exchange your bronze for gold,
    your iron for silver,
your wood for bronze,
    and your stones for iron.
I will make peace your leader
    and righteousness your ruler.
18 Violence will disappear from your land;
    the desolation and destruction of war will end.
Salvation will surround you like city walls,
    and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there.
19 “No longer will you need the sun to shine by day,
    nor the moon to give its light by night,
for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light,
    and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun will never set;
    your moon will not go down.
For the Lord will be your everlasting light.
    Your days of mourning will come to an end.
21 All your people will be righteous.
    They will possess their land forever,
for I will plant them there with my own hands
    in order to bring myself glory.
22 The smallest family will become a thousand people,
    and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation.
    At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.”
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
    for the Lord has anointed me
    to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
    and to proclaim that captives will be released
    and prisoners will be freed.[a]
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
    that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,[b]
    and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
To all who mourn in Israel,[c]
    he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
    festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
    that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

In looking at versus 61:1-3 in context,the Spirit of the Lord upon us is what empowers us to do anything.  His anointing is what we need.  Our purpose is to preach, to bind up, to proclaim, to open, to proclaim,to comfort, to appoint, to give and in doing these things we bring glory to the Lord.  There is nothing in these scriptures that preclude anyone, regardless of our past, what we have done or what has been done to us.

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