Release
August 23
Many times in my life I have had the thought, "Why does God even want to mess with us?" He is a God who is all about relationship and in order to draw a lost world to himself he must interact with us and he does that in several creative ways. One of the primary ways God builds relationships with people is through those who already have a relationship with God. For those in relationship are called to fish for those who are lost. God promises that all who seek a relationship with him will see it come to fruition.
Placing a word on my heart and having me take that word and reference it in scripture is a powerful way God draws me to himself. Praying this morning for our friend, who is presently close to seeing his early journey end, the word release came to me. Entering the word into my computer I found such similarities in our friend's life and the life of Simeon, mentioned in Luke. Good men, who prayed expectantly, filled with and led by the Holy Spirit, ready to be released into God's peace which he has promised.
In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God: God, you can now release your servant; release me in peace as you promised. With my own eyes I've seen your salvation; it's now out in the open for everyone to see: A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations, and of glory for your people Israel. Luke 2:25-32
Isaiah 61:1-3 also spoke to me as it referred to the release from darkness. I consider the disease of cancer to be quite representative of darkness and those who watch it ravage their loved ones are most certainly brokenhearted.
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 brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and to provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
When I look back on my week so far, it has been full of relationship with others and in turn with God. It has reminded me of a pitcher being poured out, but mysteriously never running out. In each instance where I thought I was going to give, I received and grew in my relationship with the individual, but more importantly with Christ.
