Favor in 2012
Isaiah 61
The Year of the LORD’s Favor
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach 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 gladness
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.
This is the passage of scripture and the theme that God gave me for this year. I want this to be the year that I finally let him heal my broken heart. I want it to be the year that I receive freedom from strongholds. I want beauty for the ashes of everything that has fallen apart or been spinning out of control. I want to hand over my spirit of despair and be clothed with a garment of praise for all that God has redeemed and made new in my life. I want to become an oak of righteousness able to brave whatever future weather or storms come my way. And perhaps more than anything, I long to see the restoration of a place dear to my heart, that has been long devastated. See, a year of God’s favor isn’t just about a year full of warm and fuzzy feelings and blessings. It’s going to take work. It’s going to take surrender. It’s going to take change. But the kind of favor this passage talks about is more than worth every bit of the challenge.
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