Shine, Jesus Shine!

SCRIPTURE

Monday in Holy Week

Isaiah 42:1-9 (NRSV)
The servant brings forth justice

Here is my servant,
whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.

DEVOTION

Aren’t these beautiful words from our God! This poem is a vivid reminder that it is God who accomplishes salvation for all of the people of the Earth!

I love this description of Jesus found in Isaiah. It says that Jesus is God’s chosen servant, full of the Spirit of God, meant to bring justice to the nations, light in darkness, sight to the blind, and freedom for the imprisoned.

Isn’t this wonderful GOOD NEWS?!

Aren’t you “happy-glad” that Jesus made up his mind to go to Jerusalem and die on the cross for us?! Aren’t you thrilled beyond measure that God loves us so much that Jesus was unwilling to turn back, or give up, when the going got tough—but carried his cross to Calvary’s hill in order to cry with a loud voice, “Father, forgive them”?

If you are human, you’ve probably had days where you felt pretty bad about yourself. But, today’s GOOD NEWS ought to lift your countenance. God loves you so much that God gave Jesus to die on the cross, to save you from your sin and to open the door for you to enter into eternal life.

Now, that is real love! God considered you so lovable, precious, important, and valuable, that God was willing to allow Jesus to die for you!

The next time you are experiencing a dark night of the soul, or a depression in your spirit, I hope you will remind yourself that God thinks you are rather grand and sent Jesus to the cross to prove it! As Jesus shines in your life, I pray that you will be filled with the love, joy, and peace that is your inheritance as a child of God!

This week we will follow Jesus to Calvary, be present at his death, and celebrate in his resurrection. While we will certainly undergo a whirlwind of emotions, let us be very certain about this one thing—JESUS DID NOT STAY DEAD, BUT WAS RESURRECTED, JUST AS HE PROMISED (Matthew 28:6)!

We know how this story goes, and it has a very, very happy ending!

Now, ain’ta that GOOD NEWS?!

Who can you share the GOOD NEWS story with today?

Great and Awesome God, Your Name is LOVE. Thank you for loving me so well and so extravagantly! I stand in awe of you. Please help me to share your love with others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.



ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus" found at
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

We are celebrating with the 9 people who have recently put all their hope in Jesus! Happy Re-birthday!

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From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/