Daily Reading
Isaiah 42:5-9 > and Luke 4:16-19 >
The Prophet Isaiah speaks of a future kingdom; a kingdom of healing and freedom that will come through a Servant sent by God. To a people experiencing great suffering and oppression, Isaiah's words ring of hope and renewal. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus reads these very words in the synagogue, proclaiming to the Jews that He is the fulfillment of Isaiah's foretold Kingdom. Healing, liberation and hope are found in Him. Jesus is the "Good News"! How does the good news of Jesus translate today in a culture saturated with images and messages of brokenness and cynicism? Spoken and proclaimed so long ago, Isaiah's words continue to beckon us to anticipate a healing and freedom that comes only through Jesus. What are you putting your hope in? Do you live with an anticipation of what God can do in your life and others? What are you anticipating this Advent season?
Lord Jesus, help me to believe in your Kingdom, where healing and freedom are a reality. Let me not succumb to cynicism, and give me a sense of hope in what you can do in my life and the world.