“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, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But you shall be named the priests of the Lord, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.
“For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant. Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, And their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed.”
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
-Isaiah 61:1-11 NKJV
It’s time to say goodbye to the old you. The one that walks around in grave clothes of shame, regret, guilt, unmet expectations, unfilled dreams, and betrayal. Can you feel the weightiness of the stories tethered to these words? How long have you been carrying them?
They all must go!
You were bought with a price and that price was worth your life. You were worth it!! You have been co-crucified, but also co-resurrected with Christ.
Can you write that for me?
I AM WORTH IT!
Sharing in his death by our baptism means that we were co-buried with him, so that when the Father’s glory raised Christ from the dead, we were also raised with him. We have been co-resurrected with him so that we could be empowered to walk in the freshness of new life. For since we are permanently grafted into him to experience a death like his, then we are permanently grafted into him to experience a resurrection like his and the new life that it imparts. Could it be any clearer that our former identity is now and forever deprived of its power? For we were co-crucified with him to dismantle the stronghold of sin within us, so that we would not continue to live one moment longer submitted to sin’s power.
-Romans 6:4-6 TPT
The cross crushed the shame of sin within. It’s time to step into your new garment!
For, you are walking with a new bloodline. Not even generational curses can withstand the power of His blood.
Now, it’s time to put on your praise clothes.
This weekend, I was granted the opportunity to speak to a group of ladies in Maryland about this very passage. We had a time of sharing and then a time of confessing some of our deep worries within. The grave clothes layers of the soul. It gives me so much joy to share my/God’s story with another. I am going to attach the two worksheets here so you can take some time this week to allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you as well. The right question on the right day can really unlock something special within to express His heart for you afresh again.
(photos courtesy of Melissa Schaming)
Below is also something I shared yesterday. I’m also going to link the live stream. If you drag the clock to minute 24:50, that’s right when I begin to sing and share.
On this day five years ago, Jesus rearranged my life. He blew in a storm that I did not see coming. It rushed in like a tornado, and darkness fell upon my mind, my heart and my soul. Yes, that day was unlike anything I could have imagined. Jesus gifted my husband, Ben, with heaven and He did not stop loving me and my children, Stone and Stella. He gifted us with new life and hope and a new story. Yes, the storm blew in and changed our family story, but the Son, Jesus, allowed the Sun to shine again, and again, and again. I’m here to share with you, today, that Jesus is good, He loves you, and He loves me. The storms of life will toss us around and bruise us up, but Jesus—but Jesus—is the healer of my heart and your heart, for He knows all our parts. Five years ago was my storm, and you have had your storms, but we are here, today, to celebrate the One Jesus who will help and guide us through any and all storms.
I don’t know what storms you might be walking through. I’m sorry for the pain these storms carry. However, I have learned that when we cast our cares on Him, not only do we feel lighter, we feel and look brighter. Daughters of light shine bright with His might. For, we have something to share, and women and men need to hear it everywhere.
Why?
“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, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Here is a song that came to mind while writing this.
“There is Freedom” by Josh Baldwin: https://youtu.be/hmPvcXYfqBQ
Until next time,
Stay Tender
Connect to the Mender
Be a Sender