“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:18-19 (NIV)

What a scene it must have been when Jesus read these words from the prophet Isaiah in a synagogue in Nazareth, following them immediately with the statement, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21) I wonder what I would have felt or thought had I been there at that moment. If I am honest about myself and the strength of my faith on any given day, I think my reaction would have been one of skepticism. Something like, “What a lunatic this guy is,” might have run through my mind. Sadly, I tend to judge first and have faith later.

The good news for me – and lots of people like me – is that I am exactly the type of person Jesus was talking about in the verse above. I am poor in faith, blinded by judgment, and oppressed by my egotism. There is only one thing that can change those very human characteristics about me – the Lord’s favor. Gratefully, I am willing to go to God each morning, and throughout each day, to find my way. As I read the word of Jesus and listen to His disciples who continue to carry His message over 2000 years later, my heart slowly changes.

Because of the Power of God’s will in my life, I am on my way to a day when I will be rich in faith. I trust that through Him my heart will become more and more open to anything and everything He has in store for me, whether I understand it or not.

Because of the Power of God’s will in my life, I believe my eyes are opening to the truth about myself and others. Through prayer I have asked Him to help me to see as He sees – the world and the people who walk upon it.

Because of the Power of God’s will in my life, my egotism is becoming less and less powerful – and my desire to please God and carry out His plan for me is at the top of my “To Do” list every morning.

These changes are slow-going. There are days when I fall back into the self-pity and self-centeredness that was once so comfortable that it kept me poor, blind and oppressed without my even knowing it. It is a blessing that on those days, the time I have spent communicating with God serves to overpower that false comfort with the truthful message of my Savior, Jesus. And that truth is that through my relationship with Him, I am no longer bound to the desperation of self. Through Him, I am free.