Reflections, July 19th, 2009

Sunday, July 19th, 2009

Reflections: “There Is Good News!”

“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because he Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound…” Isaiah 61:1

Scripture reading for this week: Genesis 32; Deuteronomy 10; Psalm 2; Proverbs 8; Isaiah 61; John 5...

There is good news today--actually here is good news every day that the Lord raises you. Jesus is risen, the Holy Spirit has come unto us, and the Father says, He wants to set your soul free. He has made a way for you. No matter what your circumstances or situation; God wants you to know that He has made a way for you. And that way is walking in His goodness; Found when you seek His face; And spend intimate time in His presence. Because, it is when you are in His presence that He will reveal to you His will for your life, and the mysteries of His Word.

It is my sincerest prayer that this week’s Reflection will be a source of encouragement and enlightenment. I pray that the will of our Father be revealed in your life, and that you receive the promises of His word concerning you and yours. May your heart be free and the anointing of God cover you.

Sometimes we hear people say, concerning our current situation (whatever it may be), that things won’t always be this way. That we should trust in God, and believe that He will bring us through. This is all true, but we don’t always want to hear that. What we really want to hear is when! When will all this be over? How long do we have to suffer before we see vindication? How long before the pain stops? All valid questions. But if we are going to receive the answers to these questions--we must first believe that God not only hears us, but will answer.

Isaiah 61:2-3

“…to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.”

Before we asked, God had an answer. Before we had a problem, God provided the solution. God is not a man that He should lie. Whatever He says, He will do. (Numbers 23:19) Before we were born, God sent His Word of promise. He gave us promises to hold onto while we are going through. Living in this world, it is expectant that trials and tribulations will occur. That the hurt and disappointments will come our way. However, in Isaiah 61:1-3, God sends his servant to proclaim the promises of God to His children. The promise of Christ.

1. To preach good tidings to the meek. So that they (meek) would be encouraged to continue in their walk despite the multitude of obstacles and attacks for what one believes.

2. To bind up the brokenhearted. To bring healing words and comfort to them that have suffered much heartache; that have had their hearts broken because of sadness, loss, tragedy, disappointments. To let them know there is a heart fixer and mind regulator.

3. To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. To free those that have been bound by their past; bound by mistakes, failures. Bound by the harmful and hurtful words of others. Bound by lost and grief, and the inability to move forward. Bound by the thoughts and memories of how things used to be; making it difficult to see what God said is to be. To open up the doors, so that we can walk free. Even to them that are in a literal prison, that have suffered unjustly and have been wrongly imprisoned.

4. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God. To let people know that the return of the Lord is near. That Christ is soon to come and the judgment of the Lord is upon us. Now is the time to repent, and hear the voice of the Lord while we have time.

5. To comfort all that mourn. Many are in mourning and they need the comfort of the Lord. For only the comfort of God can lift the heaviness of a heat that mourns.

6. To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes. To turn every ugly thing that has happened in your life into a testimony for the glory of God. To take all the scarred areas of your life and make them beautiful. To change how you see yourself. To make what the enemy meant for bad, into your good.

7. The oil of joy for mourning. To anoint those which mourn with a spirit of joy. A supernatural anointing from the Lord that will put joy in your heart. For the anointing of God destroys every yoke.

8. The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. To enable you to praise in the midst of a heavy heart and soul. To enable you to lift up your voice to God in praise, knowing that He can and will lift your heaviness. Because nothing is too heavy for God.

9. That they might be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. That we would receive into our hearts the seed of righteousness. The living Word of God; Christ in our hearts. So that we would become trees of righteousness. And when people se us, they will begin to glorify God. Because they know that it was God, by our testimony, that brought us through. And if He did that for us, surely he can do it for them, as well.

There is good news today--every day that you choose to walk in righteousness; each day that you open your heart to God, and believe on what He has spoken to you. God has the very best for His children. He loves us so much. And when we spend time in the presence of God--miracles happen. We become miracles in other’s lives. We become the righteousness of God--the vessels that God chooses to use to bless one another.

How can God use us, and show us His goodness; His promises; His miracles, if we do not believe in what He has said? And, if we have not spent intimate time getting to know who God is? You will never know the greatness or the heart of our God if you do not spend time in His presence.

Yes, trials and sorrows will come. Yet we cannot allow them to cause us to abandon our relationship with God. It is a matter of life and death (both spiritually and physically speaking), ours and those that God has given us influence over.

When we are intimate with God, we are spending time in His presence; meditating on His word day and night. And as a result of this--we are as trees planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth good fruit in the right season. And everything we do prospers (Psalm 1). That means, even when the world is in despair, the children of God--who have believed and walk in an intimate relationship--will always be provided for. All of our needs being met.

We can’t give up. Never, ever give up. There is always good news for the children of God. Even when it hurts and you think you can’t go another inch--don’t give up. Because god will bless you.

Genesis 32:24-26

“And Jacob was left alone; and there he wrestled a man with him until the braking of day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint; as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.”

I love this text of scripture. Here Jacob is, despite all his faults, daring to wrestle with an angel of the Lord. It wasn’t that Jacob was stronger than the angel; because the angel proved that by merely touching Jacob’s hip, he disjointed it. It was the fact that Jacob didn’t give up! The angel said to let him go. And Jacob dared to answer and say: Not until you bless me!

You have to want the blessings of God so much that you willing to do whatever it takes to get it. To be willing to never give up--no matter what comes your way. To know that the promises of God are, yes and amen. that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

There is good news. Jesus is alive and He has come to set you free. May the spirit of peace and prosperity find rest in your: spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, social, and financial lives. No matter what you are facing at this time, I encourage you to hold on and believe the promises of God. Spend time in His presence, and share this good news with someone else. Be Blessed.

©2009. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.