That 'they' may be called oaks of righteousness!

As we continue this journey learning about being created through Jesus for God's purpose in our lives, let's take the next step. Let's begin to narrow it down to a specific good work, to your specific people, to your they. "They... what?" I see the questioning look in your eyes. Allow me to briefly discuss what I discovered when I was learning who my own they were. Pause for a moment, grab your bible, and ponder with me on the first three verses of Isaiah 61.

"The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring the good news to the poor, He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, 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, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of a faint spirit; that THEY may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that HE may be glorified!" Isaiah 61:1-3 ESV {emphasis mine}

Do you recognize that this scripture was the very one Jesus reads from in Luke 4:18 – 21? Picture the scene. Jesus in the synagogue, he is handed the scroll of Isaiah, he finds this particular passage, reads a summary, rolls the scroll back up, declares that they are witnessing that passage being fulfilled, and He sits back down. That deserves the ultimate mic drop!

I know we aren't Jesus (take a deep breath of grace), but we are to be an extension of the work Jesus did on the cross. If we are saved by His grace, it is my belief, that we are called to shine His light right where we find ourselves and reach the specific they He has given us. Jesus fulfilled what we see in Isaiah 61, and 2000 + years later, He is still choosing to use broken people like you and me to extend our weary hands to reach one another.

If you haven't before, begin to ask yourself, "who are my they?" You may be asking where or how to find the answer to this question. If you look into your own life and examine your personal sufferings, you can probably begin to narrow down the people and place God wants you to reach in this world. He has also given you the Holy Spirit to equip you to reach them!

They might be the babies in the nursery who need their noses wiped, diapers changed, and stories read to them. Or they could be the rowdy teenagers at church or in your neighborhood. They could very well be the elderly at nursing homes who feel they have been forgotten. Maybe they are the ones who have struggled with alcohol and drugs. They may be the ones that have been abused or beaten. Or are they the poor and homeless that you come across daily? What if they are the girls rescued out of sex trafficking and need someone to remind them of their worth? Your they could be the act of linking arms and fighting racial injustice on the front lines. This list could go on and on.

My own they include my wild ones, serving women facing unplanned pregnancies, and helping women who have endured abuse to find their voice in this world.

That deep breath of grace we just took together allows us to remember we are not meant to reach everyone and every hard thing happening in this world today. There is a lot of hard and chaotic stuff going on, and it can be very overwhelming. If you lack clarity about your place in the present-day chaos, choose to turn down the noise. Turn off the news and social media for as long as it takes you to find that clarity. Decide to seek the will of Daddy-God in your life and reflect the light of His HOPE in the dark corner of your world.

"...that THEY may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that HE may be glorified!" Isaiah 61:3 ESV {emphasis mine}