“To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.” Isaiah 61:3 NLT
The oppression of sin and Satan drives us to despair. Despair is the tool of Satan to keep us oppressed. His onslaughts make us feel hopeless. In our despair and depression we begin to think that God is too remote to be found. We may think that our lives are in such a mess that not even God can pardon or heal our hearts. God desires to turn these initial feelings of godly remorse into repentance so we can be healed. Satan wants to use them to keep us oppressed. God wants to restore and refresh broken hearts; He wants to make our lives fruitful again. Satan wants us to listen to his lies. God brings healing when we honour the purpose for which He created us. This is a message we need to be sharing with others today. God is calling us back to His righteousness to be healed. He wants us to exemplify a message of healing to a lost world. The world needs to see the fellowship of God’s people as a military hospital for sinners who are turned into saints – new creations in Christ Jesus, equipped with the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to share the Good News with others who need to hear it. For this Good News of Salvation is about God’s desire to restore to us what Satan has taken through his oppression of this world. God desires to deliver us through the message of Jesus Christ. It is a message of mercy and grace, and it is definitely good news!
PRAYER THOUGHT
Lord Jesus, thank You for turning our despair into praise.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the Good News that You turn our despair into songs of praise. Thank You that you have made us into a new Creation through the power of Your Holy Spirit, and you are sending us out to share the Good News. AMEN
I.B.R.A. Readings
Mark 12:41-44
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