I don't know if I've ever really been able to relate when people talk about having lightbulb moments, but I may have had one this morning, thanks to God (as always, haha). We were having a short retreat of silence at our fall leadership retreat to start off the morning, and I ended up flipping to
Isaiah 53. I'm not sure why it came to mind, but I had been meaning to read it since Kara had mentioned it to me last Sunday when she was talking about Tim Keller's
True and Better video (worth watching if you didn't click on it in my previous post!).
As I read through the passage, I realized that I'd never read the whole thing--I was only familiar with parts of it (verse 5, via Third Day's song). As I read the chapter, my eyes almost filled with tears. Man, Jesus really is so worthy. Look at what He did for you and me!
1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
Man...that just leaves me speechless. I am in awe and gratitude, forever.
But afterwards, as we were rounding up everyone to regroup, the light bulb went off. This whole past week (starting Sunday with Pastor Jason Tarn's messages, I guess), God has been constantly reminding me of His love for me through His Son, through messages, songs, conversations, and ultimately His pure Word...essentially, He was renewing me in and through Christ. And guess what? That's the first part of our vision for this year :) Renewed by Christ, sent out to love.
:)
God, You are so, so good. Please, keep me within Your will every day, at all times, and keep me from straying. Keep my eyes on You as I make plans, meet new people, and build relationships. Let them
all--every single one of them--be solely for Your glory.
