READ – Isaiah 61:1-3 1“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God;To comfort all who mourn,3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning,The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
SOAP – Isaiah 61:1
God remains very near to those who are suffering and in sorrow. Believers can cling to this promise at all times. Believers will find that it is when we are suffering and in pain that we give the Lord our closest attention, our most honest prayers, and our boldest requests. He never leaves us and comforts our hearts and minds through difficult times.
What heartache will you surrender to God today? Who do you know experiencing heartache that you can encourage and pray for? Suffering and pain exposes our weakness and lack of control over this life of ours and causes us to lean in utter dependence on the Lord. The Lord works no less in the lives of those He loves whether they are in tragedy or in abundance. His love never dims. His compassion fails us not.
Father God, I thank You that You are an ever present help when I am in trouble. When I begin to doubt Your presence, Your purpose, and Your plan for my suffering, remind me that it was in the midst of my pain that You took Your rightful place as My Heavenly Father. Remind me that You are bigger than my tragedies, and that through suffering and sorrow I will be able to experience a love and intimacy from You that I have never known before. In Jesus’ name. Amen.