Are You Ready To Get Decked Out?

Are You Ready To Get Decked Out?

Good Morning Friends,

God’s dream for each of us is that we would be so perfect we would be worthy of being married in a heavenly sense to the divine. Of course, we need God’s help to dress us in the success of righteousness. Are You Ready To Get Decked Out?

Scripture: The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.

They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 (NRSV)

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:48 (NRSV)

Message: Sometimes life gets to be messy. That was the situation of those in exile during the time of Isaiah. In today’s passage of scripture, they are addressed as the oppressed, the brokenhearted, captives, prisoners and people who mourn. But then we are given the good news of a deliverance to come that we have associated with the coming of Jesus into the world. Perhaps that is why so many people resonate with Isaiah during this time of year for it is a season of good news. Unfortunately, it is also often a season of excessive emotional messiness. However it is in such a situation we learn we can never be perfect on our own.

Pray for those held captive by hatred and oppressed by anger. Pray we not have false or unreasonable expectations of others or ourselves. Pray that our lives do not get so cluttered with the things of the world that we do not make time for Jesus. Pray for the brokenhearted and those in debt. Pray we rejoice in the good news for the oppressed. Pray we share the hope that is in Christ. Pray we celebrate this season of Advent every time we see a sign of God’s hope and love.

Blessings,

John Lawson