- The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound… Isaiah 61:1 – This reminds us that there is a purpose attached to all the blessing that God has done in our story. God has graciously poured out His Spirit on us, like we see done in this passage, yet notice the word “because.” The Spirit was given so he could bring good news to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, and to proclaim liberty to those bound. What we must remember is we’ve been given the Spirit for those same purposes. Not just so we can have life and freedom, but to help others have it too. Be seeking out ways then today to fulfill the purpose behind why you were given the Holy Spirit in your story. There are poor, broken-hearted, captive people around us that need the same Spirit we’ve been given and you can be the one to introduce them to Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1262
- They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; but you shall be called the priests of the Lord; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast. Isaiah 61:4-6 – Isaiah, speaking as the future Messiah, shares what life will be like under the Messiah’s reign. In short, it will be beautiful. In the verses above, the Messiah speaks of the people that follow Him. We see two tasks given to them that He will instill them with the gifts to perform. To rebuild and to minister. Followers of Christ are called to be rebuilders of the things that sin and the enemy has torn down. Even if the destruction is ancient, we’ve been gifted to step in and help rebuild through our Savior. Followers of Christ are also called to minister, to care for the church and point others to the God they follow. Today, seek how you could be used by the Lord to fulfill your calling to rebuild and minister. Is God wanting to use you to help rebuild a relationship between two family members? Has God been pointing you to a person you’re supposed to point to Him? How could you be a part in rebuilding the passion in your church family for Jesus, even if that fire in your church family hasn’t been there for years? While Jesus will one day reign like we read about in the last days, He still is sovereign today and reigns. His blessings are still being poured out over His followers today so they can carry out their God given purpose. Let us today serve our Lord. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2728
Daily DEVO 