Isaiah 61

Isaiah 61:1, “He has sent me to bandage those whose hearts are broken, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”

I am sure all of us have had a broken heart before but maybe not so many of us have been prisoners before. Isaiah is writing this chapter as a look at the hope in what God does despite our sin. Did you know, because of sin you and I have been brokenhearted? Because of sin, you and I have been taken captive and we have been in  the nasty prison that the chains of sin has held us too.

Now is the time to rejoice, family! Those chains have been broken, the prison doors have swung open and we are free in Christ. When I was a little child I remember singing a hymn titled, “I’ve Got a River of Life Flowing out of Me” by Donald L. Casebolt. In the hymn there is a line that talks about ”I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me! Makes the lame to walk, and the blind to see. Opens prison doors, sets the captives free! I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me!” This song I remember when I was younger because of the splish splash part that would follow after that line but when you really think about the work of Christ on the cross and our salvation it is amazing and should bring praise upon our hearts. Paul says in Romans 6:6, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.”

Isaiah writes in verse 10, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” I want to challenge you today to think about your salvation. Know that it was not anything you did but by God’s grace, the work of Christ on the cross that is how. Do you take your salvation for granted? I know I have in the past. Do you remind yourself that you have come from a prison cell of sin, to the safety and security of Christ? Take today and reflect about your sin and the price that Christ paid so you do not have to. After that take some time and praise God for that. Do you know that God really loves you? That he does heal our broken hearts and that we are free in Christ. Take a moment out of your day and praise God and rejoice in him.