Monday, October 12, 2026

Opening Scripture

The Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. He warned them not to tell others about him. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.” Matthew 12:14-21

Opening Prayer

Gracious Heavenly Father, you are holy and exalted! May your kingdom come and your will be done in my life, home, and community just as it is in Heaven. Help me to trust you today to meet all of my needs. Help me to forgive others just as you have forgiven me. Help me to resist temptation and overcome the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

Isaiah 42:1-9

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

This is what God the LORD says – the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

Reflection  

In today’s passage, Isaiah introduces a key theme woven in the Book of Comfort: the Servant. While the term “servant of God” has elsewhere been associated with Isaiah, Hezekiah’s chief steward, and the faithful remnant of Judah, this Servant is different. Unlike all who have come before, He is the perfect Servant.

In these verses, the LORD “introduces” His Servant to the people. “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.” While Israel and Judah are fearful and worried – small worms, bruised reeds, and smoldering wicks – God’s Servant will “bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.”

Almighty God then addresses His Servant and declares His mission. “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”

It is through this Servant that God will ultimately fulfill His covenant with His people. In an eternal and cosmic way, the Servant will open the eyes of the blind, free the captives from bondage, and release those who sit in darkness. Matthew picks up on this and applies these verses to Jesus (Opening Scripture).

Finally, God again reminds the people that He has consistently told them in advance what He intends to do, and the fulfillment of those prophecies prove His supreme authority over all creation. “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

Everything in life is relative. Albert Einstein is famous for his “Theory of Relativity,” which states that space and time are linked together, and the speed of light is always the same, no matter how fast you move. However, Einstein also offered this example of time relativity: “Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute.”

God has already declared that the great empires in the ancient world were like a drop in the bucket or dust on the scales to Him. However, to the people of Judah, feeling powerless like pawns in a global chess game, it all seemed overwhelming. They knew that the Assyrians had easily destroyed numerous other nation states. They knew that Babylon was a growing military threat, and the reality of it filled them with dread.

In that context, in Chapter 41, God calls these empires and their gods to a confrontation. “Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the place of judgment.” Almighty God invites those mighty nations to prove that they are controlling history, but before they can speak, Yahweh introduces a new player. He has “stirred up one from the east,” who turns out to be Cyrus the Persian.

The empires of Assyria and Babylon will soon be forgotten. God has now called the king of the Persians “in righteousness to His service.” The LORD will hand nations over to Cyrus and subdue kings before him. The Persian Empire will be God’s next tool to continue working out His plan of redemption. “Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD – with the first of them and with the last – I am he” (Isaiah 41:4).

Ultimately, though, God’s Servant is the One who will accomplish what Almighty God promised from the beginning. Through Abraham’s descendants, all the nations of the earth will be blessed. “I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”

Humans have an extremely limited perspective. We believe things should happen quickly. If an expected result or feared consequence does not take place immediately, we assume it will not happen at all. The longer it is delayed, the less we believe it will ever occur. But God has the big picture; He takes the long look. God is always at work accomplishing His good purpose, even when we are not aware of it, which is most of the time.

The nations of the earth and all their idols are living in a deluded fantasy! They have created an illusion they actively sustain with their social media hype and enticing deceptions that “go viral.” There is no lasting power in their vast armies. There is no enduring value in their opulent riches. There is no divine strength in their false gods. Eventually, they will discover the sad truth and harsh reality of their mistake.

Isaiah’s prophecies are declaring future events, whose occurrence will prove that Almighty God has been, and continues to be, in complete control of the world!

In the midst of it all, God graciously reminds His people who they are. “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:8-10).

That was an important promise for God’s Old Covenant people to hear at that time. It is an important promise for God’s New Covenant people to hear at this time as well. Followers of Jesus are the spiritual descendants of Abraham, so “do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

This week’s collective prayer: Father, help me to be sensitive to your leadership in my everyday life. Amen.

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!