Vital signs- Thursday, September 3rd, 2020

““The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61:1-7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It’s easy to think of God as distant or far off because of something we’ve done, but over and over again in Scripture we see God’s heart pursuing His children. A casual reading of just some of the Bible will reveal that His people don’t always choose the best path, the one which will honor the Lord and bring them life. Over and over those who are supposed to be committed to righteousness have actions that don’t look that way. How can a God so holy also be so forgiving? Our pattern is the same, but thankfully, our God never changes either.

He is always inviting us into a relationship with Him. Even in our sins, the offer still stands. In Isaiah, you can see God’s heart for the brokenhearted, it says that Isaiah was sent by God “to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve.” At the bottom of the bottom, He is still asking us back to Him, offering forgiveness to His children.

Maybe you find yourself in the aftermath of sin, or wondering why you feel so far from the Lord. Remind your heart of who God is. That it is never too late to receive the unconditional love He offers and ask for His help in renewing your commitment to following Him.