Creator God is the Living Word who leads believers through life. Depending on how long we have know Jesus, we can have many, many amazing experiential pictures of his love in action planted within our minds. According to Scripture, in the beginning the Lord spoke and there was Light and he became the very Light he created in order to open humanity up to a vast picture of his existence, the miraculous grace he offers for living, and to be an example of faith in action.
In our passage today, we can connect the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah with the New Testament gospel of Matthew, because Jesus begins to fulfill the prophet’s picture of Messiah perfectly as he sends his Word to heal a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath (12:9-21). Remember, in our lesson yesterday, God sent Messiah to capture Israel’s attention; to see and embrace his provision through the Son for salvation. Jesus is now the believer’s model of righteousness and the Helper desires to connect us in all the works of his pure love. We just keep on planting more experiential pictures of God’s love and goodness in our minds.
So, if you are struggling today with a life experience that seems overwhelming, please allow your mind to embrace the vastness of God who is not limited by any created thing. If you are open to the righteous ministry of Christ in your behalf, he will guide you through what seems impossible to fix and he will make you and that mess a message you can share. We tend to think God’s faithfulness is only about all the blessings and certainly that is true; but, Christ is not limited like our minds, he knows things before they happen. Therefore, Christ is the Answer to bring healing, wholeness, and leads us to witness to his goodness even in the midst of overwhelming life experiences. He is the Lord of every need!
Isaiah 42:5-9 NLT
5
God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out.
He created the earth and everything in it.
He gives breath to everyone,
life to everyone who walks the earth.
And it is he who says,
6
“I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.
I will take you by the hand and guard you,
and I will give you to my people, Israel,
as a symbol of my covenant with them.
And you will be a light to guide the nations.
7
You will open the eyes of the blind.
You will free the captives from prison,
releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.
8
“I am the Lord; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to anyone else,
nor share my praise with carved idols.
9
Everything I prophesied has come true,
and now I will prophesy again.
I will tell you the future before it happens.”
Prayer: Lord, thank you for every fulfilled prophecy found in your Word. There are several more yet to be fulfilled, but we know they will happen just as you have spoken. Thank you for opening our spiritual eyes and liberating us from evil’s blinding work. We praise you for every picture Scripture paints of you, because otherwise our minds just can’t comprehend the magnitude of your presence, love, and grace. Be glorified! In Jesus’ name. Amen.