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Daily Devotion: Isaiah 42:6-7

Isaiah 42:6-7      "I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;  (7)  To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house."

God is still saying to us, "Behold my servant, whom I uphold..." We are still looking at Jesus and the more we look, the more we see.It is so important to spend time in thought, meditation, and communication with our Lord.  These verses give us great understanding of hope as we take time to think upon them.  God says, concerning His servant (the Lord Jesus Christ), "I ... will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people..."  I don't want to just simply pass by these words.  God said that He gave His Son, Jesus Christ as a "covenant of the people." Every promise that is made by our Heavenly Father is secured through the giving of His Son, Jesus.  For God so loved us that the full expression of that love was by giving His only begotten Son as "a covenant of the people."  Notice, He did not say a covenant for the people; rather, a covenant of the people. The "Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." Then we read in Hebrew 2:16, "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham." According to God's plan, the only way for salvation to be accomplished was for His Son to be made flesh and dwell among us. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." (John 1:11)  He came unto His own; that is, He was given "for a covenant of (from) the people." Paul wrote in Romans 5:19, "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (man - emphasis mine) shall many be made righteous."  

For me, it is important to understand that Emmanuel (God with us) was also made of flesh, born of a woman, and was tempted in all points just like I am. It is important to know that the covenant of grace was cemented (secured) in the work of Christ as He was crucified on the cross. This is important to me because when I find myself in a dark place, I need to know there is a "light" that guides me out of the prisons of self-doubt, of inadequacies, of fear, and every other sin that tries to imprison me. I need to know that my Saviour understands, and is touched by my struggles, and says, "Follow my light to freedom." As the Father says that He holds the hand of His servant, I can know that He also is holding my hand to lead me out. That is a precious truth for me and I pray it is for you also.

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