5 Day Meditation~ Isaiah 61
Join me in meditating on Isaiah 61 this week. I had a series of four poems stream out of the pen on Saturday and after I read them together, I realized they were really a retelling of Isaiah 61. We will start first with the scripture and the four poems will come the subsequent days. Enjoy!
With love,
-Maggie
Isaiah 61
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
Day 2
Poem 1 of 4
Dwell with me.
Leave me not alone
Don’t let my mind be darkened with loneliness
Fear
Shame
Or brokenness
Tell me things
Of the far beyond
Of tomorrow
Just for fun
Let’s not speak of practical things
But of something far more rich
Why, turn these practical problems of mine
Into dreams, stories, and hope, why don’t You?!
Of a future bright–
This present darkness needs the light
Let’s be a people feasting on hope
Coaching others on really, truly living
To life’s fullest extent
Dancing in freedom
Solving the problems
Turning every sour mood
Into a treasure of some sort
Some say this is whimsical–
Unreal–
Impractical–
Or simple frivolity–
But my Father calls it “life to the full.”
Father, show us Your perspective in all things.
In the bleakest of the bleak–shine your light.
Give us the capacity to hold the light.
More light.
More hope.
More joy.
More peace.
More of You!
That’s all we want!
We love, You, Father.
Day 3
Poem 2 of 4
Father, hear my plea.
Take these sorrows
And make something
Gold
Brand new
Bring what was lost
Home
Make what was sad
Joy-filled
Turn the tears
To laughter
All the mourning,
Languishing heaviness
Shift it all–
Into dancing-gear
Change all the heaviness
To praise
The years of travail
Redeem them all
Into something
Worthy
Of Your Own Name.
Father, even as we know you hear us, we ask, we seek, we knock. YOU are the true source of everything we seek. You are “all in all.”
Day 4
Poem 3 of 4
I go to pray
And realize
You’ve already
Heard my plea
You’ve heard each
Heartbeat
Each cry
Each worry
Spinning
Up to the stars
You know every
Thought from afar
So what’s left
To say?
I guess there’s only
Life–
Play
Singing
Dancing
Laughter
Feeling
Thinking
Planning
Living Life
Before You
Into eternity
Is all there
Really is.
Father, may we get to the “real living” today and each day. Move for us, our burdens out of the way so we can stay focused on Your agenda. Or, put them “in the way” so we may discover Your heart in a new way. Get us to the “real living” when we go astray.
We love you. We trust you. “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). We proclaim that You are in our midst and using ALL of this!
Day 5:
Poem 4 of 4
Tension filled prayers
When will they lift?
Are they effective?
What are they even doing?
Knowing
Seeing
Feeling
Proclaiming
Groaning
Yearning
Heaviness
Crying
Holding
Trusting
Believing
You’re doing something
When we simply cannot
Powerless
Utterly
Unending-seeming
And then
All the sudden
The turning–
A solution
Satisfaction
Peace returning
A lifting
It’s over
It is finished.
It’s as if it never were at all
The King has come on all
Our toiling
Has shifted
Lifted
All our burdens
And they are simply forgotten
And no more.
What miracle of prayer is this?!
Divine action finally taken
Real change
Lives up-lifted
Changed forever
People once slumbering
Walking
Talking
Joy-filled
Dancing, even!
What mystery!
What praise!
The God who hears
Who sees
Who knows
And cares
Has come.
On ALL of our concerns & prayers
It was only a matter of time.
Praise to You, Lord Christ, our GREAT REDEEMER of all things!
