January 4. Genesis ch 13-16
DIVINE EXCHANGE.
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”
Isaiah 61:1-3 KJV
GOOD DAY. It is quite interesting to watch children as they grow. No wonder Jesus said “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 KJV. One attribute of little children that comes into play in forgetting the past to enjoy the new is their readiness to drop one thing for another that they consider more attractive. A friend came visiting with her two-year old grandson. He had a beautiful soft toy he held tight to as it kept him relaxed and calm and excited. Nobody could take it from him because it shone light of several colors each time he pressed it. He went to my grandson’s toys room and saw Batman. He dropped the soft toy without hassle and picked Batman. He was so active making Batman make the moves he saw on the television. He ended up leaving his soft toy for Batman and he has had it since with all the joy and fun of it.
Now to our lesson. Yesterday, we learned that we should forget the past and not set our minds on it. We are used to holding on to the past for whatever comfort or supposed lessons we learn from them. Some of them make us look smart or wise. However, in the supposed wisdom, we feel bad, unfulfilled and frustrated. God is saying for His children who were in this condition, forget the past and drop it like that little boy did. Take hold of what he promised which is better and enduring. Look at the scripture for meditation today; you can exchange beauty for ashes, oil of joy for mourning, garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Put in today’s language, it reads
“The Spirit of the Almighty Lord is on me, because he has chosen me to serve him. He has sent me to tell good news to poor people. He has sent me to comfort people who are very upset. He has sent me to tell prisoners that they are now free. They can go out of their prisons! He has sent me to say, ‘This is the year when the Lord will be kind to his people.’ It is the time when our God will punish our enemies. He has sent me to comfort people who are weeping because they are sad. In that way, the people in Zion who are sad will become strong again. They will not put ashes on their heads any more. Instead, they will wear beautiful hats. Instead of weeping, they will have olive oil to show their joy. They will not feel upset, but they will sing happy songs to praise God. People will call them ‘Strong trees that show God’s righteousness’. They will be like trees that the Lord himself has planted to show how great he is.” Isaiah 61:1-3 EASY put yourself in the place of comfort in your imagination and enjoy the divine exchange. This is why you can have joy even while the natural condition persists.
PRAY: Dear Lord, may I be meek enough to exchange my weakness for your strength in all things.
Bose Olatunbosun. +2348033355584; +447399700512.