Isaiah 40:1-11 (TPT)
“1 Your God says to you: “Comfort, comfort my people with gentle, compassionate words.2 Speak tenderly from the heart to revive those in Jerusalem, and proclaim that their warfare is over. Her debt of sin is paid for, and she will not be treated as guilty. Prophesy to her that she has received from the hand of Yahweh twice as many blessings as all her sins.”3 A thunderous voice cries out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way for Yahweh’s arrival!
Make a highway straight through the desert for our God!
4 Every valley will be raised up, every mountain brought low.
The rugged terrain will become level ground
and the rough places a plain.
5 Then Yahweh’s radiant glory will be unveiled,
and all humanity will experience it together.
Believe it, for Yahweh has spoken his decree!”
6 A voice says, “Cry out!”
And I ask, “What should I say?”
“All people are as frail as grass,
and their elegance is like a wilting wildflower.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of Yahweh blows upon it;
the people are just like grass!
8 But even though grass withers and the flower fades,
the word of our God stands strong forever!”
Proclaim Good News
9 Go up on a high mountain, you joyful messengers of Zion,
and lift up your voices with power.
You who proclaim joyous news to Jerusalem,
shout it out and don’t be afraid.
Say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10 Look! Here comes Lord Yahweh as a victorious warrior;
he triumphs with his awesome power.
Watch as he brings with him his reward
and the spoils of victory to give to his people.
11 He will care for you as a shepherd tends his flock,
gathering the weak lambs and taking them in his arms.
He carries them close to his heart
and gently leads those that have young.”
Doing our part for God
Each of us Christians, as part of the Body of Christ, have assignments from the Lord God. We are called to proclaim who He is and what He is doing today. The only way we will be able to follow through on these assignments is to have a personal relationship with Him. His son, Jesus was born of a virgin (Mary-Luke 1:26-38). He lived a sinless life before God and man (2 Corinthians 5:21). He died on the cross of Calvary to save us from our sins (Galatians 6:14). He arose from the dead (Romans 4:13-24). And He is coming back to earth again (1 Corinthians 15).
When we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, our whole life changes. We now have a relationship with God, the Father, Jesus our Redeemer and Holy Spirit our teacher. That relationship is developed by our time spent in the Bible, in prayer and in worship. There are so many Scriptures that talk about relationship all through the Bible, that there is not time to expound on them here. Nevertheless, we can be sure if we spend time in the Word of God, we will develop a relationship with Him. We will begin to know who He is and what His plans are for mankind.
He is working all the time to interact with His creations, man and beast. He loves all He created and wants relationship with them. The depth of relationship is totally a choice of the creation. God is always reaching out to us. We are the ones who continually ignore or rebel against Him.
Now is the time to choose surrender to the love of God found in Christ Jesus. In that surrender we find peace and a depth of living that can be found no other way. All the promises in the Bible are released by faith in God and His Son. We activate everything that is set aside for us, by believing He is, and that He rewards those who seek Him.
Hebrews 11:1-6 (KJV)
“1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
We must seek His will for this season so that we can do our part. What is the Lord asking you to do-to believe for? How can you bless His people? What gifts and talents are you hiding instead of sharing with the world? Each of us has born in us something the world needs to see. Our personalities are created by God to be used for His grace. Pray about how you can join in this great season we are entering into. God grant you the courage to surrender to His call for your life.
