Isaiah 61:2

As I continue in this series of taking one of my favorite passages of scripture and making some life applications, I hope you continue to check in. Today we will focus on verse 2.

"To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" I don't know about you, but the last few years have not seemed favored by the Lord. I am increasingly concerned about how to raise my children in modern society and how to continue to represent Christ to the best of my abilities. When I consider this verse, I realize that it is our job as Christ followers to declare things to be, even if they don't appear to be that way. We need to raise up a shout and declare the blessings of the Lord, that the Lord is favorable to his people, that He is slow to anger and abounding in grace. His mercy is new every single morning. Right now, it is the year of the Lord's favor on you and your loved ones. Be blessed!

"And the day of God's vengeance" Vengeance is "punishment inflicted or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong". God is not exacting punishment on you for doing wrong. That price has already been paid, in the sacrifice on the cross. This is why we can declare the Lord's favor, because we are free from the law that says sin equals death, the price has already been paid. Vengeance has been poured out, and we are free to live in grace. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. This means it is nothing we can earn, we do not deserve it, but we get to receive it. Salvation is this amazing gift.

"To comfort all who mourn" Part of the human condition is that we all experience loss. So far, there have only been 2 people that have left this world and escaped death (Enoch and Elijah). The rest of us will either die or experience the second coming of Christ. Since the human condition is terminal, we all have either mourned the loss of a loved one, or will in the coming days. There are hurting people everywhere. It is unavoidable. Jesus mourned the loss of his cousin (John the Baptist) and wept with Mary and Martha over the death of their brother. We can assume that he also experienced the loss of his earthly father, Joseph, during his young adult years. Isaiah 53 gives us the picture of this suffering servant, Jesus, he was a man well accounted with sorrow, pain, and suffering. This was so he could relate to us, to be so fully human that he experienced pain in life as we do. In order to comfort those who mourn, we have to place our hope in God's promise of eternal life. That there is life after death, victory over the grave, and that an end to all suffering is coming.

Check back soon for another installment of Isaiah 61.