Percy’s Blog

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Isaiah 53: 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.

These last few days we have traveled from Abraham with Melchizedek to David and the promise of our Savior. Today Isaiah tells us the story of the gift of the cross and the joy of Jesus’ work on behalf of us all. May I offer that the key verse is 10 where the Father’s will is to make “ his life an offering for sin”. Are we all clear on the essential nature of this gift? There will be hope for all, not based on us, but on Him. He is the gift, we are the recipients of the gift. He died for us. We are covered for our broken relationship with our Father who pays the bill! Life and a justifying work is the result of this work and joy will follow. Do we receive this with joy or questions? Let us rejoice and be covered by this incredible gift of our Lord!

For Your Prayers: The nation of Togo