A good reminder
by Maria Rudolph
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I will open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness (Isaiah 42:7).
I wonder if you feel weary today, a bit dry and uninspired, maybe? Or are you bursting with excitement, ready for whatever comes your way? I know for myself, I can generally do with some extra encouragement to spur me on, to refocus my wandering mind back on what is important and where my help comes from, back unto Jesus. It’s not a coincidence Scripture repeats God’s promises and loving reassurance of hope again and again. It’s not enough for us or for any generation of people to only hear it once – or even ten times. We need to listen to the same words from God over and over. And these life-giving words from God are true for each one of us not just as a once-off, but over and over, God’s compassions are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22,23).
God has always known our need for redemption through Christ. Hundreds of years before the Messiah was born as a human being, the prophet Isaiah foretold his coming. We know through the gospels that Jesus actually healed the blind and set people free from demons that held them in dark captivity. And yet, Jesus himself knew and taught this was only a foretaste of God’s kingdom, and literal healing was only a small glimpse of the complete eternal healing. Everyone who puts their trust in Jesus Christ will be fully restored.
Often, we might not feel so healed; we might not see ourselves as set free from captivity and do not sense that we are released from darkness. We have a compassionate and faithful God of consistency, and our emotions and feelings are not the best gauges. Whether you feel ‘on fire for Jesus’ today, worn out, or something in between, allow God to come to you anew today, full of the same promises and hope that are always true for you. He fills you abundantly with his Holy Spirit and lavishes his love on you and through you, whether you can feel it or not. God’s got you, as he reminds you a little further on in Isaiah’s prophecy: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine’ (Isaiah 43:1).
Come, Holy Spirit, and fill me anew with the living water of your eternal word with the joy of knowing my salvation through Christ. Thank you for healing my blindness by fixing my eyes on you, setting me free from the captivity of sin and releasing me from darkness by being the Light of the World. And thank you for being patient and reminding me over and over of your goodness so that I, in turn, can be a Christ-light to others through you who gives me strength. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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