Second Week of Lent ~ Friday

The joy of the redeemed.

Not the joy of the perfect or the joy of the one who’s already made it... Or the joy of the one with a comfortable life...

But joy for those who have been redeemed.

Redemption is a prized gift, not an act of shame. It’s a moment to be extremely thankful and recall that we were once lost and now we are found, we’re once broken but now are healed. And it continues that way from now until eternity... From not until then, God is continually making all things new.

- Read Isaiah 35 

I prefer this best in the NLT version.

- Devotional Thought

Everything isn’t just made new with Jesus, but redeemed to far better than before.

We read in verses 5 to 7 how the lame won’t just walk, but they will leap! The mute won’t just speak, they will sing! God is constantly working in the domain of exceedingly and abundantly, and the good news about that is that he doesn’t just come to show off his glory, although it’s wonderful and marvellous but he came to reach people as He displayed his kingdom.

He’s coming for the ones who are tired, who are dismayed. And the message of hope is for those people. It’s for those who need to know they will be ok, it’s for those who need to know they don’t have to fear. That right now they can trust... All because He is with us.

We know He has already come, but we also know that He is coming again and that is the hope we desperately hold onto. But what I see in this passage is that it’s not about clinging on to carrying on, but to living IN hope and encouragement. About not fearing in the middle of the moment, although it may seem hard but we know that we do not loose hope based on what we see!

But how do we do that?

We place our hope in HIM. Far above anything else we see, work for or are surrounded by! We carry on to display the glory and kindness of who He is by resting in who we know him to be and living in the scriptures to discover more about who that is.

The joy of the redeemed is already here. It’s here already, fully accesable becuase everlasting doesn’t begin one day when, but everlasting, here and now because of Jesus.

- Passage to focus on 

“With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭35‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Let us be the ones to encourage those who need to know.

- Image for today 

Today's image represents a celebration! Because every day that we wake up is another day to celebrate that we have a kind a gracious King who is on our side!

- Prayer 

Thank you Lord,

Thank you for your ongoing story to rescue and redeem the lost and to bring people into your Kingdom. We know that this story won’t begin at the end of time but that it has already begun.

You are hard at work redirecting the lives of the ones you love to return, to find peace and hope and everlasting joy. Show us how we can partner with you are sparking that joy right now, today in the lives of those around us.

In your name we pray

- Active idea

Who can you bless today? In your thoughts, actions and words, how can you remind someone to let go of their fear and to look up to God, whose joy is our strength.

Thank you for joining me today! Hope to see you again soon!

Have a blessed Lent

~ X ~