POLISHED ARROWS

".....in the shadow of His hand He hid me; He made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in His quiver...."  Is. 49:2

But I said "I have laboured to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.  Yet what is due me is in the Lord's hand, and my reward is with my God."  Is.49:4

How many of us know there are hopes and dreams, visions, and things that we have held close to our hearts and longed and prayed for, and yet they are not yet seen?  Do we sound in our speaking like the prophet Isaiah "I have laboured to no purpose..." because our eyes do not see what our hearts have longed for?

Have we forgotten verse 2 where there is the promise of being hidden and polished and concealed ... until it is time to fire the arrow towards the chosen target?

This is what the Lord says:

"In the time of my favour I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you;  I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people to restore the land, and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives 'Come out', and to those in darkness 'Be free!' ..."

Isaiah 49 is full of powerful promises, and I love the fact that for those who live in New Zealand it speaks to the islands and the distant nations, and of what will be brought to the ends of the earth.

It speaks of a God who is ever working for redemption and salvation, who contends for those He created and loves and will never forget them.  It speaks of His overwhelming desire that all mankind will know Him.

We look at our lives, at world events, and our eyes move away from this powerful, creative, love on to all that is contrary to what He is speaking about, and we wonder how can all this connect to us now.

John 20 contains a beautiful turning point, a remarkable key, that opens the door to all that is spoken in Isaiah 49.

Mary Magdalene, the broken woman who was given forgiveness and new life by the Jesus she loved, has gone to the tomb where the lifeless body of her Lord had been laid when it was taken down from the cross.  Even the remnant of her hope was now gone - the tomb was empty.

She stood crying outside, and then as she wept, she bent over to look again at this dark, empty hole that had contained all she loved.  ("I have laboured for no purpose, I have spent my strength and in vain and for nothing..."). This is total darkness and desolation, pain and loneliness.

In this place of loss and pain, heaven touches earth!  We should be encouraged.  She sees two angels in the tomb.  The question from heaven is "Why are you crying: Who is it you are looking for?"

At this she TURNED AROUND AND SAW JESUS STANDING THERE, but she did not realise that it was Him.

ALL THAT SHE WAS MOURNING WAS STANDING THERE ALIVE!

Are we still looking into the dark cave of loss, sadness, pain, and broken dreams?

It is time to TURN AROUND and see that JESUS IS ALIVE and is the fulfillment of all the amazing things spoken in Isaiah 49, and spoken into our lives over the years.  We need eyes to see clearly in order that we WILL recognise Him in the place we stand now.

BECAUSE HE LIVES, all these things are possible.

BECAUSE HE LIVES, we can turn around and begin to see and live differently.

BECAUSE HE LIVES, He will answer us and help us, He will restore the land and reassign its desolate inheritances, the captives will come out and those in darkness can be free.  How long we have asked and wondered why it hasn't happened!

WE JUST HAVE TO TURN AROUND AND SEE HIM STANDING THERE ALIVE! 

Our prayer is not effective because we groan, labour, weep and work, it is effective because we KNOW HE LIVES.

We are simply the shaft of the arrow that is being polished and prepared to fly straight and true to the target He has chosen.  He shoots the arrow, and he is the arrowhead that breaks through ahead to make the way straight!l

Lord give us the courage to place our lives in Your hands and to completely trust You.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.  Ephesians 3:20 & 21