Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17.

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11.

If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. Matthew 6:14.

And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 129: Belief on His name will produce offspring. Psalm 72:17: May his name endure forever; may his name increase as long as the sun shines; and let men bless themselves by him; let all nations call him blessed. And, John 1:12-13: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

This morning in the devotional Lift Up Your Eyes by Clyde E. Nichols, he was addressing what we do when we are at the end of our rope. It was so needed by me this morning. “At the end of my rope: It is a place where, soon or late, all of us come. It is a problem with which the Bible deals from Genesis to Revelation. Jesus was aware that life is filled with problems. He pointed out that we should be prepared for such, having the faith, the hope, and the prayer life to deal with the crises when they come. “Hang in there!” young people encourage one another. “Be faithful unto death,” exhorts the book of Revelation. “And so hold on,” says Rudyard Kipling, “when there is nothing in you but the will which says to you, “Hold on!” It is not easy by any means; but when with dogged faith we keep on believing in ourselves, in others, and most of all, in God, help always comes. It can be so for you, whatever the circumstances. When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on! Know, with Paul, that nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God.”

Last night our Zoom group watched together The Chosen episode in Season 3 where Jesus returned to Nazareth and spoke in his own hometown synagogue. He read from Isaiah 61 about His anointing and told the room that today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. The last portion of the verse of Isaiah 61:2 that Jesus cited was about proclaiming the favorable year of the LORD and then He stopped; but Isaiah continued with – and the day of vengeance of our God (Isaiah 61:2). They expected Jesus to continue with the vengeance, but not toward them, but toward others. But as Jesus told them, (Luke 4:17-27), it wasn’t to the children of Israel that Elijah or Elisha wrought the miracle of food during famine, or of healing leprosy. Listening to the dramatization of that time in the synagogue so long ago, it felt like God was speaking directly to the children of Israel themselves, imploring them to understand, and not just to them, but to all of us. Are we ourselves willing to listen to God? Because if anything in our world today is teaching us anything, it is that we all of us need Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. His own hometown was ready to kill Him because He spoke about pagans being helped by God. But wasn’t that the promise given to Abraham…“And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)? “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable Year of the LORD.” We are all of us, Jew and Gentile, caught up in everything blinding us to God’s love for His children all. What the children of Israel could not do, Jesus, as the True Israelite loving and trusting Creator God, did. He did that for all of us. He shows us the way still. Our sins, the sins of fallen humanity, are oppressing us and His gospel, so needed, is for all of us.

Why was I at the end of my rope this morning? Even before my first sip of coffee my thoughts were judging and condemning and the residue of that hardens my own heart, oppressing me and blinding me to God’s beautiful love and the goodness of His truth He holds ready for all who turn to Him. “But when with dogged faith we keep on believing – in ourselves – in others – and most of all – In God – help always comes.” Even to the condemning just like me and you and all of us. There is such beauty in the imploring of God to love Him and to love one another, and in loving Him – trusting Him, that reaches deep into our hearts and minds – the favorable Year of the LORD.

***STRENGTHEN MY HANDS – Please, O LORD God of heaven, great and awesome God, who keeps His loving covenant with those who love Him and obey His commandments, may Your ear be attentive and Your eyes be open to hear the prayer of Your servant. I am praying to You both day and night on behalf of Your servants, the followers of Jesus Christ. I confess the sins that we have committed against You. We have behaved corruptly against You, not obeying Your commandments. Please, LORD, listen attentively to the prayer of Your servant and to all who take pleasure in showing respect to Your name. Grant Your servants success today. Hear, O our God, for we are despised by those who persecute us. Bless them that they may, one day, come to know the true God. Please remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for this people. Please remember me for this, O my God, and do not ignore the kindness that I have done to honor Your name. Please remember me, O my God, and have pity on me in keeping with Your great love. Please remember me for good, O my God, and strengthen my hands for the work. Composed from the prayers of Nehemiah in Nehemiah 1:5-13:28.***