The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim 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 joy
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.
Isaiah 61:1-3
This message was delivered by the prophet Isaiah during a time when the people of Israel desperately needed a message of hope amid hopelessness. They were living in Babylonian exile, their place of worship had been destroyed, and many of their people had been carried away into captivity.
In a nutshell, they were defeated, depleted, dejected, and rejected.
Just when they felt all hope was lost, the Lord finally gave the people a word of hope that let them know that this would be a momentary affliction. It will not always be this way. Better days are ahead. Isaiah told them that the Lord had not abandoned them and was mindful of their suffering.
This holiday season, no matter what is going on in your life, remember that there is always hope. The turnaround is coming. As you wait for the turn-around, remember others suffering and be to them what you wish someone would be to you. Who knows, perhaps the Spirit of the Lord is upon you to proclaim the good news and bind broken hearts.
In the words of Howard Thurman –
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.
Howard Thurman, The Work of Christmas, 1944