Today’s reading is found in Isaiah 61:1-2 (NLT)
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
We see this verse again in the New Testament, Luke 4:16-21, when Jesus is reading the scriptures in a synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth. Once he read the words on the scroll, he said, “the Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”
Jesus came to comfort the brokenhearted. Are you brokenhearted? The Christmas season can often bring brokenheartedness or sadness to some as they try to celebrate in the midst of grief. We don’t have to grieve alone. God sent Jesus to comfort your broken heart, and Jesus sends other believers to love and support you.
Take some time today to focus your mind on Christ, the Messiah, and consider this question:
Have you offered your broken heart to God? Do you let other believers help you grieve?