Your Identity in Christ

Isaiah 62:1-12

They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD;
and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.
~ Isaiah 62:12

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
The nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,
and your land Beulah;
for the Lord will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.
As a young man marries a young woman,
so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.
I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the Lord,
give yourselves no rest,
and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise of the earth.
The Lord has sworn by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:
“Never again will I give your grain
as food for your enemies,
and never again will foreigners drink the new wine
for which you have toiled;
but those who harvest it will eat it
and praise the Lord,
and those who gather the grapes will drink it
in the courts of my sanctuary.”
Pass through, pass through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!
Remove the stones.
Raise a banner for the nations.
The Lord has made proclamation
to the ends of the earth:
“Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your Savior comes!
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.’”
They will be called the Holy People,
the Redeemed of the Lord;
and you will be called Sought After,
the City No Longer Deserted.

In Christ, we are sought-after treasures of God,
worth the life of His beloved Son.

Pondering Point

If you take time to read through Isaiah 62:1-12, (please do!) you will see the prophet using imagery of the city of Jerusalem and the Mount of Zion that she sits upon. In doing so, Isaiah reminds the people of God that they are not forgotten but beloved and rejoiced over.

This can be hard to believe about oneself if we have taken a dim view of yourself personally. This could be due to years of negative self-talk or harmful language heaped upon us by others. Keep in mind that God, despite our sinfulness, holds us dear. He holds you dear. Tomorrow we reflect on another facet of this sought-after dynamic, but for today we finish we a prayer of thanks.

Matthew 18:15-18

Dealing With Sin in the Church

15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Prayer

Father God, it is good to know that I am sought after, that I am beloved. I don’t always feel that way. Thanks for reminding me of the truth that You value me and that You rejoice that I am part of Your family in Christ. I love You. Amen.

Micro-Meditation

Psalm 103:7-12

He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Read the verses of the Psalm.

Mark the words or phrases that catch your attention.

Meditate: talk (or better, write) with God about those words. Ask Him to impress things upon your heart and mind; expect responses.

Teaching or Command of God

Isaiah 53:5a

He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him…

The Promise

Isaiah 53:5b

…and by his wounds we are healed.

Pondering Point

As one of five brothers, I know what it is like to be punished for my brother’s sin. I didn’t volunteer for it. But this is what our brother Jesus willingly did for us.