[1] "Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.
[2] From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
[3] For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.
[4] I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
[5] For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
[6] Increase the days of the king's life, his years for many generations.
[7] May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.
[8] Then I will ever sing in praise of your name and fulfill my vows day after day."
- and from -
Isaiah 61:1-11 NIV:
[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,
[2] to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
[3] and provide for those who grieve in Zion---to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
[4] They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.
[5] Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
[6] And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.
[7] Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.
[8] “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them.
[9] Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
[10] I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
[11] For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations."
I just love both of these passages. The Lord has spoken from both into my life at different times. I love the imagery of God as a strong tower, a rock on which I can stand. He is unchanging and always faithful. He is completely dependable, and He is merciful and gracious.
I love the verses from Isaiah as well, for they are a proclamation of hope and restoration! God is all about establishing hope, bringing joy to the sorrowful, restoring the lost, the wounded and the weak. He calls us out of our weakness and establishes us in His strength. He has plans and times for everything and everybody. He remembers His promises through all generations, He restores and rebuilds those that seem lost and long forgotten. He is not willing to just restore, but adds a double portion as well.
I like the last line - "the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations." This reminds me of a verse from Isaiah 45:8 NIV: “You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the Lord, have created it."
These particular verses actually explain much of the Gospel. Righteousness comes from God, not from man's efforts. He showed us righteousness, in Jesus, and then poured forth the Holy Spirit into our lives that we might produce a harvest of righteousness. He has planted righteousness in our lives and is causing it to grow!
Yes Lord, we pray that there might be a great harvest in our lives and the lives of those we love.
No comments:
Post a Comment