“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor…” Isaiah 61:1-2

This verse stood out this morning, as I read about the foretelling of Jesus, after having just celebrated his birth. It reminded me of the relatable and relational side of our Lord. He knows from personal experience what it is like to be poor, broken-hearted, captive and bound. And who do you want beside you when you walk through these same things? Someone who has been there and can now shine the light of presence and love. Maybe because He has allowed us to walk through these trials, we can go back and sit with others too. Sometimes it does not require words, but presence when all feels dark and alone. Then we become thankful for the trials because they have been used to shape us into more of His image, relatable and relational. We know He is too good to waste our pain and we shine a bit brighter. We join Isaiah in proclaiming that it truly has been a year of the Lord’s favor, even if we did not recognize the training at the time.

Happy New Year Friends!