A Familiar List

Daily Reading // Isaiah 52:1-15

READY // SILENCIO

Take a moment to quiet your mind and prepare your heart for your time with the Lord.

READ // LECTIO

Read the passage above up to three times aloud. Allow yourself to feel the words as they are read.

REFLECT // MEDITATIO

Now direct your focus on the words, phrases concepts or sentences that got your attention. What is God speaking to you today through His word?

Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, [our] faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

It really struck me this morning how Isaiah, speaking of a future event, spoke about it as if it were in the past. This doesn’t just feel like a prophetic proclamation of something that’s going to happen in the future. It’s more of a prophetic proclamation of a future event that has already happened.

In this one short verse we see a laundry list of things that Jesus, God in the flesh, suffered for us.

Despised. We all love popularity. He didn’t enjoy popularity. We all want to feel valued and valuable. He was treated as one who had no value, no positive qualities.

Rejected. The desire to be accepted by others is one of the strongest human motivators. He did not experience acceptance, but rejection. Think of a time when you may have experienced rejection from someone you loved. He experienced that pain.

Sorrow. This word speaks of physical and mental pain. He truly endured both on His journey through this earth. I think about the tear of God at the graveside of Lazarus. What a powerful picture of divine sorrow.

Grief. Grief is the result of loss, ongoing disease or hardship. It is what’s leftover when all the joy has been taken from someone’s life. Grief is the empty space created when your reason for joy is gone. You have experienced grief. Jesus experienced grief.

No esteem. We did not esteem Him. Wow. God came to earth and we did not esteem Him. No ticker tape parade. No fanfare. No red carpet. We said, ‘Meh’. No big deal. We talk a lot of the importance of self-esteem. I think we actually esteem ourselves much too highly. What about God-esteem?! What about Jesus-esteem?! That’s whats missing.

He suffered all of this willingly for me. And for you. What is your laundry list of disappointments today? He fully understands. He is familiar with your list.

RESPOND // ORATIO

Pray in response to what the Lord has spoken to you.

Jesus, You suffered for me. You took on all my disappointments and pain. You chose to do it. Such knowledge is hard for me to comprehend. I trust you with all my ups and downs. Amen.

Tomorrow’s reading -> Psalm 24:1-10