Jonathan on 040405

Scripture
Isaiah 49

Observation
Isaiah is an amazing prophet. The message he brings is striking. He doesn’t harp on and on about doom and gloom or sing songs of happy thanksgiving. His book is balanced. Just as the Psalms capture the different aspects of life, in its ups and downs, Isaiah presents a complete view of God in all his glorious righteousness and tender redemptive nature.

Application
Just like an Israel living in the slavery of idolatry, despair and foreign dominance, I am not living as free as I could be. As this semester’s responsibilities pile on in church, in work and in school, I find my spirit being crushed under the weight of all the things that need to get done. I can list them all out in my head and on paper and the effect is paralysing.

v8-10
It is good to hear God’s redeeming voice:
in the time of my favour I will answer you
and in the day of salvation I will help you;
I will keep you and make you to be a covenant for the people,
restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances.
to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’
and to those in darkness, ‘Be free.’

They will feed beside the roads
and find pasture on every barren hill.
They will neither hunger nor thirst
nor will the desert heat or sun beat upon them.
He who has compassion on them will guide them
and lead them beside springs of water.

Prayer
Father, I want to live as your son; I want to live free. Not free to cast off responsibility but in the freedom to know that your favour and compassion is upon me and that your voice calls me forward to be a representative for you, and to live in communion with you. God today I trade by burdens for your burdens, not just for the sake of it, but so that I may find myself in your presence once again. Free me Lord, to live a life where I can love you with every part of my life and every part of my being. May it be that for today, you are all I need. In the precious name of Christ I pray, Amen.