“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, . . . (Isaiah 61: 1, 2a, NKJV).
Dear God, as we enter this new year, we long to have the “good tidings” both preached to us, and applied to our lives. Please help us to abide under Your protective care; and may this new year 2015, represent a closer walk with You. This is our desire. This is our prayer, in the holy name of Jesus the Messiah. Amen.
Let me begin by wishing you a Happy New Year! First of all, I would need to know what You consider happiness? What would make you happy? While you consider your answer let me tell you why I chose this Scripture to begin the New Year.
This is a Messianic prophecy. Because I know that the Messiah is trustworthy, and that we can take His promises to the bank I know that I can put my hope in Him and not be disappointed. So I chose the promises of this prophecy for us to claim in the coming year.
The preaching of “good tidings to the poor.” The good tidings is the same “glad tidings” proclaimed by the angels at the birth of Jesus, and they refer to the good news that salvation is available to all. It is for the poor of all kind: the materially poor, the “poor in spirit” the emotionally poor. Those who are poor in their own eyes gladly accept the good news that victory is possible in Jesus, the Christ!
To proclaim liberty to the captives. Scripture informs us that to whoever we yield ourselves in obedience, we become their servants. How many people are walking around believing that they are free, when in fact they are held captive by bad habits, addictions, unhealthy relationships, to mention only a few of the situations that hold people in captivity. Jesus came to break those chains. If you are in captivity He can set you free!
The opening of the prison to those who are bound. There are people locked up in prison cells that are as free as a bird in the open sky. And there are people in our homes, in our churches, at our places of employment, people that we pass on the streets every day, that are bound by circumstances that have turned them into prisoners. Only Jesus holds the keys that can unlock their prison cells and bid them “come forth.”
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. The acceptable year of the Lord was for the Israelites the year of Jubilee. The year when poor Israelites who had to turn over their land, or hire out themselves or their family members as slaves in order to survive, had everything returned to them. It was the year of freedom! The year of rejoicing! Today can become the first day of the acceptable year of the Lord for you. The year 2015 can become your year of Jubilee. “Today if you hear His voice harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 4: 7, 8a).. He is calling you to freedom and newness of life. This year, By God’s grace, you can take back everything the enemy of our souls have stolen from you!
I wish you the acceptable year of the Lord in 2015!