1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
You are saved, now what? You have given your life over to Christ because He called you out at a retreat, a church service, or by your bed and you answered the call. In your pit of despair, when nothing else was working, you looked up and Jesus Christ had his arms open wide to accept you. You felt like purpose for your life had just showed up and said, “Good morning! I was waiting for you.” A hilltop experience for sure. You might even describe it as the honeymoon phase.
The jitters have left, the swelling heart of joy you just received from being saved by grace points you to the “now what?” phase of your Christian walk. It is here that we enter the boot camp phase. We devote our time and effort into understanding God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible and even commit to going to church regularly. We get ready to be an active part in the God’s army. Ready for the front lines of battle.
It is a spiritual battle that we are fighting, not a physical one. In the verses above, Isaiah is writing and uses the word “me.” Today, turn these few verses into a personal list of marching orders from God. Put your name where it says “me.” The “now what?” side of your Christian walk has just been answered.
It all starts with your testimony. The good news is what the Lord has done for you! Find the brokenhearted people around you and tell them how Jesus was like glue to your broken heart and that He offers us freedom from the despair the enemy chains us with. Tell them about how you now see clearly though the light of the Word of God. Comfort those who mourn, tell the person who thinks they are ugly from the inside out that Jesus says they are precious and beautiful. Show them how the joy of the Lord is your strength. Let them catch you praising the Lord loudly and let them hear you be thankful in all things instead of constantly complaining about everything.
Marching orders! Your commanding officer has just issued your marching orders. Believe it or not you are part of the Lord’s army. Other soldiers are counting on your commitment. Someone is watching you fighting the battles, let them see the Lord instead of you.
Prayer: Father, I pray that we not get complacent in our Christian walk. I pray that we are marching forward with your direction in all things. I pray that we march on not knowing the outcome, but resting in your direction. I pray that we walk in the victory and power of God that was given to us by sending your Holy Spirit to guide us and to instruct us. I pray that we realize we are the anointed church that the gates of hell will not prevail over. Help us to see with spiritual eyes while we follow your commands and instructions. In Jesus name, amen.
Let It Go 
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