Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
One of the most powerful statements I’ve ever read is: “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Prov. 12:18) I have no doubt you’ve experienced both extremes in the power of words, am I right? Yesterday we began looking at the most privileged life imaginable, described in Isaiah 61. I hope you did as I suggested and yesterday 10-24-24 became a defining moment for how you view your life privilege and purpose. Today let’s continue with Isaiah’s powerful words: “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 broken hearted…” (Is. 61:1)
Yesterday I tried to help us understand the word “proclaim” does not only mean verbiage, vocabulary and only vocal expression. Rather it means every aspect of your life and mine ‘proclaims’ or announces or declares. And what is it we are declaring with our lives? The radical, undeniable power of God unleashed in a human life which brings such radical change that this Spirit anointed person lives with the Holy Spirit of God resident within them, guiding their decision making, warning them of danger in temptation, teaching them how to discern and live God’s truth in a world of deceitfulness and distortion. You might want to read that sentence again!!
All of this is only possible by the power of Jesus delivering a person from their sin bondage and sin condemnation! That delivered person, now empowered by the Holy Spirit of God, now has a life purpose very similar to what Jesus had when He lived here on planet earth! That person is now living as an ambassador of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:17-20) and that’s why their life proclaims Jesus to a watching world!
We discussed that at length yesterday, so today let’s keep going into the next phrase of Isaiah’s powerful writing: “He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted…” (Is. 61:1) The “HE“ here, of course, is Almighty God Himself who sent Jesus and now, by the anointing and empowering of the Holy Spirit sends everyone who is a redeemed, born again, authentic follower of Jesus. Does the idea of living your life ‘sent by God’ intrigue you? The evening of His resurrection Jesus said to His amazed disciples: “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you…” (John 20:21)
Those of us who are confident the Holy Spirit of God lives within us, are living our lives “on mission” with God. It means we seek to continually nurture our relationship with God so that we are always sensitive to discern God’s leading of us in how we should live, our attitudes, our actions, our choices. It means we live available to God if He wants to send us ‘on assignment’ to accomplish His purposes here on our planet earth.
Does that sound extravagant, unrealistic, mystical or even prideful? On the contrary, it is living in total submission to Almighty God and His direction. That’s how ambassadors live all the time, always ready to be directed by their King, and always committed to fulfilling the King’s assignment to their very best ability!
So, what do you think it looks like to live this assignment from God: “He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted…”? You and I are surrounded by discouraged, anxious, broken-hearted people, aren’t we? No matter where you live, people experience broken hearts, discouragement, anxiety, worry and fear simply living normal daily life, don’t they? It’s the world in which we live, and it’s been this way since the days of Noah!
Remember James wrote: “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t’ they come from your desires that battle within you?” (James 4:1) Oh my he’s right, isn’t he? Paul wrote it this way as he described the downward spiral to conflict and anger: “…in the futility of their thinking they are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality to indulge in every kind of impurity with a continual lust for more.” (Eph. 4:17-19)
The byproduct of our sinful nature is selfishness and pride which breeds disagreement and conflict which breaks relationships and wounds people deeply. It’s happening all around us all the time and that’s why those of us on assignment from God are to be peacemakers who “bind up the broken hearted.”
So, I wonder what you have learned to be some of your ‘best practices’ to help a broken hearted, discouraged, angry, fearful person? Would you agree a SMILE can be very powerful in defusing a conflict or deflating a pent-up anger? Have you learned the power of LISTENING, and have you found a few moments of genuine listening can calm a very tense situation? How about the power of TOUCH? Can you tell when someone needs a hug or an arm around their shoulder?
Have you watched a person find hope when you prayed with them, inviting God to touch them right at the point of their need, whatever God knew their need to be? Have you watched the encouraging power of God’s Word when you quoted a Scripture or invited them to read a Scripture that assured them of God’s love and His Presence in their painful situation?
Would you consider writing down some hope filled powerful Scriptures and carry them with you so the next time the Holy Spirit leads you to a brokenhearted person and they need a fresh infusion of hope from God’s Word, you’ll have a few in your pocket to offer them?
Have you noticed this assignment from God to “bind up the broken hearted” invites us to step in alongside the broken-hearted person and show them God’s love right where they are in their painful place? Have you learned the Spirit of God is the One who does the broken heart mending work, we are simply the friendly person God uses to encourage that broken heart as God does His healing work deep inside them? Have you learned that we need to be careful to not OVERSTEP our role as ambassadors of Jesus?
We are not the healers, Jesus is, but we are there in the pain with the broken-hearted doing what the Holy Spirit in us guides us to do. It’s delicate, isn’t it my friends?
Do you remember John the apostle recorded these words which Jesus spoke only hours before He was beaten and crucified: “Love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34,35) “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends…” (John 15:13) Is there some broken-hearted person you know who needs an extreme expression of the love of God to help them find their way out of their deep, dark place?
I think we should pause right here for a time of reflection and intercession. Who do you know who has a broken heart today? May I urge you to pray for them, asking God to mend their broken heart? May I also urge you to ask the Holy Spirit if there is something He wants you to do to encourage that broken hearted person? If the Holy Spirit guides you to take some action, maybe even something extreme, how will you respond? And what will you do if the Holy Spirit shows you that YOU are part of the cause of that broken heart?
Oh, it’s time to pray, isn’t it, and here’s a worship song to help us as we consider God’s assignment of us with brokenhearted people.
Today’s Scripture: Is. 61:1.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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