04-29 Devotional/Prayer for Mike By Gloria Barotta (Aunt Glo)

The Promises of God – Part One

Isaiah 61:1-3
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, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn 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.

Part one???? What’s up with that? And what’s with the Bible verses that go on for a paragraph?

Clinging to the promises of God is the best way to find our way back to “normal” life. There’s an old hymn, maybe you know it. Standing On the Promises of God. At times like this, the promises of God are the only firm footing we have. So I’d like to take a couple of days and meditate on these promises beginning with an Old Testament prophesy of Jesus. God’s best promise was the promise of Jesus. Through Christ our Lord, God delivers the most precious promise—Salvation and a life with Him—not just in heaven, but here on earth where life pretty much stinks at least some of the time. Through the prophet Isaiah, God tells us that not only will Jesus ransom our souls from Hell’s fire, but He will also rescue us from the junk we live through in this fallen world. Do you believe that? Before you nod, think about it. Do you REALLY believe it, not just intellectually, but are you willing to place your trust in this promise?

Jesus is the good news. Binding broken hearts. Proclaiming freedom from being captive to the sin that entangles us. Being free from the prison of this dark world controlled by the father of lies and darkness. We are freed from an eternity of darkness, and free to live with the Lord’s favor.

“But,” you say, “there is still pain!” For a time (but not eternity!!!), because we experience the fallen nature of our world. And that brings physical death, pain, suffering.

But God.

God promises to comfort those who mourn and provide for those who grieve. In Biblical times, people covered their heads with ashes when they mourned. Check this out—God promises a crown to replace the ashes! People back then also tore their clothes when they mourned. God promises a garment of praise.

And even better than a crown, better than gladness, better than a garment of praise, we will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting to display HIS splendor!

Nothing is more solidly grounded than an oak tree. Do you believe God will bring Lisa and Gracie and this entire family through this stronger than ever? I hope so! He will for the best reason ever . . . . to display HIS splendor!

If we are in Christ. If we trust Him, we reflect the Glory of God—the weightiness of God (that’s what glory means—weighty—that’s why I’m weighty—it’s a name thing). The splendor of a King displayed through our lives! God takes our pain and heals our hearts. He comforts us so that we might reflect His goodness, His glory, His splendor.

Will you pray that, over time, God will replace ashes with a crown, torn robes with a garment of praise, and that everyone in this situation will stand firm like an oak tree?

“Lord, in the midst of suffering, we feel pain in our hearts. We cling to the promise that you will comfort us. We stand on the promise that You will deliver us from darkness and replace the ashes of grief with a crown of beauty, that our faces would glisten with the oil of your anointing, that we would be clothed in praises to your Name. We know this takes time. But we know, that if we cling to YOU, we will stand as a forest of oak trees and we will reflect the splendor of the King. In the meantime, as Lisa and Gracie and all our family and friends try to “move on,” help us to see this comfort and healing a bit each day. We thank you for the promise of eternity with you through our Lord and Savior, Jesus, to Him be the glory forever, amen.