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For the Broken
Andrea Lende • April 15, 2020
Luke 4:18
For the Broken
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/For-the-Broken-ecqloi
Daily Word:
Luke 4:18
“The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity,”
Jesus was speaking in the synagogue.
He had finished His forty days in the desert and was filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit.
As we have just celebrated His resurrection, this scripture reminds me that He also came to give hope.
The church leaders were difficult on their flock.
They weren’t offering up love.
They were concerned with rituals.
Their hearts weren’t those of God’s.
The people were destitute.
They had no leadership that would lead them to the Lord.
They were held captive inside of their circumstances.
Jesus came to set them free.
He came for the broken.
He came for the bruised and hurt.
He came for the downtrodden.
He came for the blind.
He was the Light of the world.
He healed the sick.
He brought the dead back to life.
He gave children back to their parents.
He healed the paralyzed.
Everywhere He went, He healed the people.
He spoke to their spirits.
He brought hope in a desolate and difficult time.
His Light is within us now.
He came to give us all hope, healing, and a way to Himself.
I am so thankful that I live in this day and time and have an opportunity to be continually in God’s presence.
Today I choose to praise the Great I AM for His perfect plan to bring me into relationship with Him.
May you find that His Word brings hope, healing, and restoration to your soul.
Daily Prayer.
O Lord, my God, thank You for Your Word that constantly reminds me of Your goodness. Thank You for bringing healing to Your people through Your Son. Thank You for the hope that You instill into my soul as I read about You and spend time with You. Thank You for healing the broken parts of me and for showing me that You will always be ready to heal every new break that is certain to find me in this world. Thank You for the promise of eternal life with You, Lord. May my spirit be made whole in You today. May Your promise of perfection lift my spirit this day. Help me do what You have for me to do and learn what I need to learn here on this earth. Help me listen to You, Lord, and be guided by You. May Your Holy Spirit fill me completely so that I can do all that You ask. Strengthen me as I attempt to walk into Your plan, Father. I pray that You heal Your people and this land. Help us collectively come to You and be directed by You, Lord. May we hear Your whispers and bend our will toward Yours. Strengthen us as people and as a community to do Your will. May Your mercy be upon us as we traverse these next days, Lord. Keep us close to You as the world moves forward. Help us know Your perfect plan is in place. As the loss of loved ones continues, may Your comfort be upon each person. Help us look to You in our grief and cuddle up in Your arms. Fill us with Your compassion, Father, and help us help one another. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM is at work in you, your household, and the world as nothing is out of My sight.
Response: You are the Great I AM, Lord, and I look to You in all things.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.