The Well
The Well |
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Connecting Hope to the Hurting | |
Thursday
July 10, 2008
"Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, and I am pleased
with him. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will reveal justice to the nations.
He will be gentle — he will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not
crush those who are weak or quench the smallest hope. He will bring full justice
to all who have been wronged. He will not stop until truth and righteousness
prevail throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for
his instruction."
Isaiah 42:1-4
Isaiah's vision of our Jesus was accurate. I am sure people in his day thought he was crazy. You do know God told him to walk around naked for two years don't you? Well, he really didn't care what people thought about him, he simply wanted to hear from God, please God, and as a result, we have hope in God's promises.
Jesus shouted at the Pharisees. He didn't shout at the demoniac, the woman caught in adultery, or even the disciples who fled from Him in His darkest hour. He didn't crush the weak or quench their hope ¾ He simply pointed them to the truth. Throughout Biblical history religion has tried to quench the truth of God. No doubt about it, God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. When Hannah offered Samuel to God, He moved on her to offer the following prayer: "Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don't speak with such arrogance! The Lord is a God who knows your deeds; and he will judge you for what you have done. Those who were mighty are mighty no more; and those who were weak are now strong. Those who were well fed are now starving; and those who were starving are now full. The barren woman now has seven children; but the woman with many children will have no more. The Lord brings both death and life; he brings some down to the grave but raises others up. The Lord makes one poor and another rich; he brings one down and lifts another up. He lifts the poor from the dust—yes, from a pile of ashes! He treats them like princes, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the Lord's, and he has set the world in order. He will protect his godly ones, but the wicked will perish in darkness. No one will succeed by strength alone. Those who fight against the Lord will be broken. He thunders against them from heaven; the Lord judges throughout the earth. He gives mighty strength to his king; he increases the might of his anointed one." (1 Samuel 2:3-10)
I won't get into why the Lord led her to pray this powerful prayer, but I will say that we need to pay attention. God will move in whatever way He wants to whether it is someone falling on their face or on their back; praying words like Hannah's or praying in tongues; crying or laughing in the Spirit, and any other manifestation He so chooses. No matter what, John's words in 1 John 5:13-15 states, "I write this to you who believe in the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we can be confident that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we know he is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that he will give us what we ask for." When we know that, we will be open to all His promises!
Father, please forgive any of us if we have come against one of your anointed ones! Help us bridge the gap that separates our beliefs. We invite You to do whatever You want to do ¾ without limitations. No longer do you reside in a box, like the Ark of the Covenant, You reside within us when we believe! Forgive our unbelief!
