Daily Devotionals

february 16, 2021

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

    because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,

    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God;

    to comfort all who mourn;

To grant to those who mourn in Zion—

    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,

    the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;

That they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord,

That He may be glorified.

 

Isaiah 61:13

These are the words Jesus chose to read in the Nazareth synagogue right after He returned from forty days of temptation in the desert (Luke 4:16-30). In His own hometown, out loud, He told them who He was. At first the people loved His words. But then when He told them that the Word of God comes for the healing of the whole world and not just for the people of Israel, they tossed Him out. How dare He defile THEIR Holy Scripture by offering it up for the benefit of people who don’t even believe it!

 

Jesus HAS come for the healing of the whole world. Everything in the Isaiah passage is not just a hope but a proclamation. Look at the actions: “Bring good news… bind up the broken-hearted… proclaim liberty… comfort those who mourn… give gladness.” Do any of these words “condemn”? No! If you ever need to explain to someone why Jesus came into the world, here is the fulfilled prophecy of God’s purpose and His love.

 

As we approach Ash Wednesday tomorrow, with or without ashes on your forehead, remember that Jesus came to replace those sad ashes with a beautiful headdress—because you are His beloved, and He will not leave you in the dust.

For Reflection


How shall I prepare for Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent? Shall I give up some regular indulgence? Shall I dedicate myself to a new spiritual practice?


What is God calling me to do in these forty days before Easter?

Prayer


Jesus, glory to Your name! You have glorified God by coming into this world and proclaiming Your purposes for me. Send me out this day to bring Your good news, to bind up someone who is brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom, to comfort those who mourn, and to give this world the gladness of praise to You. Amen.

Mary Hoffman
Senior Music Ministry Director
404-842-5814