SIXTY ONE : ELEVEN
DEEPLY DISCOVERING THE DECLARATION OF ISAIAH 61
There isn’t a way I could ever decide on my most favorite verse in the Bible, but there are without a doubt some that rock me more significantly than others. Isaiah 61 is my daily declaration, the passage I feel most like my intimate Father crafted just for me. Recently He whispered in my ear as I read it to myself that He wanted me to break the passage down into bite-sized pieces and share it in this easier-to-chew form with the rest of the world. I immediately said “no thanks” (politely, I should add). I am not a Bible scholar and am therefore underqualified for any assignment to further explain this profound book. Then He led me straight to 1 John 2:27: “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.” Now, I don’t believe this means that we don’t need Bible scholars and educated pastors to help guide us and make us understand, because we do. I believe this verse is in this book to clarify to us that after we accept Jesus Christ and rely solely on His Spirit, should He call us to a task, we needn’t fear whether or not we know all there is to know because He knows all there is to know and will share it with us. As a matter of fact, I could do an entire separate series discussing all the underqualified believers that He uses. It’s kind of His style.
So here we are. This eleven(ish) week study will break down the verses of the bold and brilliant declaration that is Isaiah 61. I am praying for clarity, understanding, and inexplicable Holy Spirit guidance so that together, we can uncover the truth about who we are called to be once we receive the Holy Spirit.
This is the eleventh and final installment in the Sixty One Series. If you haven't read the previous installments, I suggest you start from the beginning! To head back to "Sixty One : One", click here.
““For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.””
A seed sitting on the concrete will never be anything but a seed. Only when it is covered in soil and tended to with water and sunlight can it become what it is intended to be. The seed’s identity lies not in what it is but in what it has the potential to become. The seed’s identity is in what it contains.
So are followers of the Lord.
We are only earthly beings, nothing more than skin and bones until we immerse ourselves into the Good Gardener. Once we are covered in Christ and tended to by the Lord, then we grow into our potential and step into our identities. We are no different than seeds in that our identities lie not in what we appear to be but in what is inside of us. We become everything we are intended to become when we are fully immersed in Christ.
And, as we grow, so grows the Kingdom of Heaven. As we rise from the dirt, we bring with us the righteousness that God lavishly clothes us in and due praises to a Father who works endlessly in order that we might produce fruit.
When a crop is growing forcefully in an area, all the surrounding areas flock in to taste of the fruit, to eat of the harvest of the ground. And when we grow strong and powerfully, others will be drawn to us, asking us how to produce such a wild harvest while eating of our provision. When we allow God to do His work in us, we are given opportunities to share in our good fortune with those who are hungry for Father God.
We must also pay notice to the inclusiveness of the praise and righteousness. All nations are included in this perfect will of heaven! The plan of heaven invading earth is not reserved for Israel or Jews or particular governments. The plan of heaven is all-inclusive, all-encompassing, and unavoidable and we are all invited to be a part of it!
In summation of this Sixty One Series, allow me to circle back around to verse one: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me [you], because the Lord has anointed me [you]…”
If you have been awaiting a commission to begin your work for the Lord, there it is. Because you have accepted Christ and the Holy Spirit has anointed you for Kingdom work, you are now equipped to preach to the poor, bind up the broken, proclaim freedom to captives, and release for prisoners. You are anointed to proclaim favor and vengeance, to comfort and provide, to bestow crowns and oil and garments. You have been made righteous and strong. You are sent to renew, restore, and rebuild. You can boast in your royal inheritance of endless joy. By your commissioning, your anointing, and your God, you have been sent out.
Now get going.
-LR
