Isaiah 61:1 - What I am called to do

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,

Observation

When we give our lives to Christ, the Holy Spirit is given to us as a seal of God's ownership on our lives (Ephesians 1:13).  But that isn't the end of our assignment.  Now with the strength of God's Spirit we are called to do something more, things we couldn't do before. We are called to:

Proclaim the good news to the poor.  What classifies someone as poor? And what good news is there for the poor?  Is it that when you accept Jesus in your life you will be wealthy beyond your wildest dreams? No. The good news is that they are blessed because theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3). Jesus say's in Matthew 5:3 that the poor are those who are poor in spirit. The message bible interprets this as being at the end of your rope.  You have lost everything.  It doesn't seem like there would be any good news there, but God say's that when you have lost everything, you will find everything you need in Him. When you empty your cup and allow His Spirit to fill it up, you will see just how incredibly blessed you really are.  There is nothing like it. That is good news to me :)

Bind up the brokenhearted. The word bind means to bandage up. We aren't the great healer, but we can provide a Band-Aid or two for those hurting.  What bandage can you provide them? Well, you can bring them to Christ, like the friends of the paralyzed man in Luke 5:18-20. Gather around your brokenhearted friend and pray for him or her.

Proclaim freedom to the captives. The captives are those who are chained by sin. They have been captured and aren't able to find a way out.  The good news is that Jesus poured out Himself to death, bore the sins of many, and interceded for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12).  Through a relationship with Him our eyes are opened to the truth and we can see that through Jesus we also now have power over sin.

Release from darkness the prisoners. These are the people that are walking blind. They believe the negative labels given them and they have bought into the lies the enemy has told them.  They may even be happy people, thinking they have got it all together and are following their own plan for their life. The world may consider them a success or a failure, but either way these prisoners measure their success by the worlds standards, and thus, they are living in darkness.  They are released from this darkness when they accept Christ in their life and begin learning about Him through His word.  Jesus is the light of the world and there is no darkness in Him (John 1:9-10).

Application

I have been subject to all of the things listed in this scripture.  I praise God for that, because I can testify to God's love and proclaim the good news. However,  I sometimes get caught up in the day to day routine and forget why I am here.  I am grateful for this reminder today.

Prayer

LORD, You are good. Your loving kindness is everlasting and Your faithfulness is to all generations (Psalm 100:5). My Savior, You have healed me and placed a melody of praise in my heart. Jehova Rapha, I lift up those who are hurting right now. They are trapped in the dark, blinded by pain and suffering, and mourning the loss of those dear to them. In prayer, I take them to Your throne. I ask that You would have Your way in their pain and darkness. You would lead them by Your light and that they would find themselves in the peaceful pasture of Your presence. Thank You for Your unfailing love and faithfulness. You have redeemed my life and I am forever grateful.