Isaiah 62:4 “Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.”

God loves His Church; Jesus bled, died, and rose for His Church; Holy Spirit came to empower and guide His Church. If you have been born-again and cleansed from your sin, meditate on this thought from today’s Bible verse: God delights in you!

That word “delight” means “to favor, to take pleasure in, to bend down to.” Think about it: the God of creation who spoke the world into existence, made the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, planted the trees and flowers, filled the land with animals, gave the seas their boundaries, hung the sun, moon, and stars, created man out of the dust of the earth and then breathed life into his nostrils, and then took man’s rib and formed woman, delights in — favors, takes pleasure in, bends down from heaven to — you! Almighty God — who parted the Red Sea and the Jordan River, carved the Ten Commandments in stone, and daily fed His people with fresh manna from heaven — delights in you! Gracious God — who loved the world so much that He sent His only Son to shed precious blood to save the world, defeated the devil at the cross, conquered death at the tomb of Jesus, and sits on His throne in charge and in control of everything — delights in you! That is something to be in awe about!

In today’s Scripture reading, God says that ‘you shall no more be called Forsaken.’ Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary says to be “forsaken” is to be “renounced or turned away from.” Always remember this — the world may disown you, friends may turn on you, and family may renounce you, but God has not forsaken you! The blood of Jesus has removed the wall of separation between you and God and caused you to have peace with God. You are accepted and loved by God — forever! He said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5). He is faithful!

The Scripture for today goes on to say, ‘your land will no longer be known as Desolate.’ Sin has consequences and always leads to some type of destruction and death. Like a major hurricane leaves a town, sin leaves remnants of its effects wherever it has been. Sin steals and robs you of life, vitality, and production — even in areas like provision, health, soundness of mind, and finances. However, God says the redeemed of the Lord shall not be identified by desolation! The evidence of sin and its remnants will not identify you any longer! The blood of Jesus wipes them away. See, God doesn’t just add the blood of Christ to your sin as if to mix it up and make it all better. Rather, the blood of Christ cleanses and entirely removes the sin, its hold on you, and its remnants around you. Your name — your identity — changes from Sinner to Saved, from Lost to Found, from Poor to Rich in Christ Jesus! You are no longer desolate and empty, but full of the living God by His Spirit and able to do, to have, and to produce anything according to His will!

God says, “You shall be called Hephzibah…” Hephzibah means, “My delight is in her.” God is saying of you, “My delight — my favor, my pleasure, my attention — is on you.” You are God’s Hephzibah!

Finally, God says, “Your land shall be called Buelah.” Buelah means, “Married.” God is saying, “I am in covenant with you like a husband and wife become one in a marriage covenant.” Therefore, everything that involves you such as your family, your job, your finances, your ministry, your ideas, your plans, your present, and your future, has God Himself working with you. Think about it — everything that involves you has God with you! My friend, that is a force to be reckoned with! By the blood of Jesus, you have been transformed from Forsaken to Hephzibah; your land has been transformed from Desolate to Buelah! Why? How? Because God delights in you and you are His delight!

A Blessing for You Today: In Jesus’ Name, I bless you with the delight and favor of the Lord. May you live everyday knowing that God delights in you and favors you. I bless you to let go of the negative remnants of the past and walk into the future with the positive facts of the present.

Your Declaration for Today: In the Name of Jesus, I declare that I am not forsaken. The Lord delights in me. I am his delight. Desolation is not around me because I am fruitful and prosperous. God’s favor is upon me. He sees me as special and knows me as His prized possession. He is alive in me. Therefore, life flows from me everywhere I go, to everyone I come into contact with, and to everything I put my hand to!

(“From the Pulpit” is a weekly sermon provided by the clergy members of The Weirton Ministerial Association)