Be the Story
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, I praise You for the Good News of Jesus which has made such a difference in my life.
Read ISAIAH 52:7-12
[7] How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” [8] Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. [9] Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. [10] The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. [11] Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the LORD. [12] But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Reflect
What is the dominant emotion of these verses?A thousand years before Christ the people of Israel were languishing in captivity. Isaiah pictures them gazing out across the landscape, waiting in hope for a messenger to bring some news. Suddenly, in the distance, they see a man running towards them. And he’s smiling. When he arrives, breathless and panting, he can just about get out the good news— “People of Zion, your enemy is defeated. Your God reigns.”
We, too, are in a waiting period. We’re waiting for God to fulfill his promises of healing, of reconciliation between people and nations, of freedom. In the meantime, Jesus invites us to keep watch, to trust God, to look for signs of freedom arriving.
Those of us who have caught sight of God’s future are called to the work of liberation in the mess and the muddle of our present world. Sometimes that means working for justice on the big political stage, and sometimes it’s about making changes for good in our own families and neighborhoods. It’s our task to enjoy God today, and to live now in the light of the freedom that is surely coming.
Apply
What specific tasks and responsibilities is God calling you to undertake as you await the coming of his future?
Closing prayer
Thank You, Lord, for the future that You have promised us. Help me to play my part in bringing it.
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