This is the continuation of Training Camp Part 1 ~ Surrender & Release.
So, here I am laying my heart before the cross and entrusting it to the Lord. The Lord has brought freedom and truth, but where do I go from here?
As I am seeking the Lord, He brings me to Isaiah 61:1-4. These verses are such a picture of what the Lord has been doing within the lives of my teammates and myself this past week.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garmet of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places that have been devastated for generations
There are four main components to the Lord’s ministry here in Isaiah 61:
1. Bringing freedom to captives
2. Providing a safe place to mourn
3. Changing to a new identity
4. Rebuilding devastated places
I was sitting out by the lake enjoying solitude with Jesus. I look up to see a dead, broken tree
cracked and leaning into the water. Beneath this destroyed tree, there is new life growing in the form of small, beautiful purple flowers. The Lord draws my attention again to Isaiah 61:1-4. Both His Word and creation are testifying to what He is doing in my life.
The first thing the Lord was doing through our training camp was bringing freedom to the places where we were still enslaved. He shone His light to pierce the areas of darkness where we were still living. He called us out of captivity. Then the Lord brought His favor and protection as a covering over us. He provided a safe place for us to mourn the wounds of our captivity. Next He gave us new identity in Him. He began to replace the lies we had believed about Him and ourselves with His truth. We became grounded in Him, planting our identity in His truth. Finally, He begins to rebuild the broken places in our lives. What abounding grace!! Jesus wants to take the very places that have been devastated for far too long in our lives and turn them into strongholds of the Lord’s power in our lives.
In my previous blog, I asked “where do I go from here?”. Well the answer is that it is time to begin building. Over the next 10 weeks before the Race, I am dedicating myself to dive into relationship with Jesus and to building strongholds of the Lord’s power in my life.
