Isaiah 42:3a – “A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”
Hello family and friends of QPBC! This coming Sunday we are so excited to have 3 of our young people being baptised as a sign of their faith in Christ, being initiated within the body as they follow Christ’s leading.
As part of our sermon series we have landed in Isaiah 42. Filled with such richness of God’s character and intentions. We will be homing in on Isaiah 42 verse 3a. Be blessed as you read some reflections below!
Scripture: Have a look at the following and read ahead of Sunday-
Why does Matthew 12 quote Isaiah 42?
How does God speak prophetically through Ezekiel in 34:16?
In Psalm 147:3, what does the Psalmist say of our experiences?
Who is Christ to us, according to Hebrews 7:15?
QP reflections:
All of us at one point might have been bruised reeds almost to the eye seeing ourselves with no value, Christ views us and wouldn’t even break or discard us if we were simply bruised reeds. – Sam, YA Hub and young leader
He wants us to go to him when we are in trouble first, not as a last resort. God wants the wickedness out the world and the way to do that is through Jesus – it’s how he restores us, makse us new, renews OUR passion for Christ. For me it means I know God will always be there for me no matter how much I mess up. We are human we never will be perfect. There’s only one man who was and he died for us, and his name is Jesus! – Hannah K, YA Hub and young leader
This speaks to me of God’s infinite compassion and tender love. No matter the storms that surround us, no matter how broken or burned out we are, God will not abandon us. The Messiah will bring his comfort and strength, and breathe new life in us again. – Nanette, SLT and prayer ministry
To me this verse speaks of Jesus’ compassion. It offers an example of how he sees our situation and knows our limits, and will never make us endure more than we can handle. We may be going through tough times, where we are bruised or we feel like our light (perhaps strength/willpower) is flickering or going out, but Jesus will not let us be put out all the way. Instead, he will sustain us and see us through to the time where our light is burning brighter again. Jesus is the administrator of justice and is full of unrivalled glory, but he also knows who needs gentleness and when. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. – Nathaniel, YA Hub and young leader
This verse speaks to me of the character of the promised messiah, Jesus. I love the gentleness and care it implies in dealing with us who often get into a physically or mentally broken state – he carefully and lovingly lifts us up and brings restoration and healing. I took a call in my role as a mental health first aider at work this week, from a much troubled colleague. This care and concern is certainly what I and those around me in this beautiful but often broken world need. – Ed, SLT and youth leader
In hard times God will sustain you. He will only ask of us things he knows we are capable of, He won’t push us to breaking point but will give us strength. – Torianne, creche and legend
This verse gives me a hope that if either I or another is feeling crushed by their own sin, by things that have happened to them, by situations they find themselves in, we will be restored and we will still be used by God. Even if our faith is shaken or we feel at the end of our tether, God still finds the life in us no matter what. It’s incredible to see this reflected in the New Testament where Jesus comes to bring justice and to seek out those who might be seen as the weakest or most sinful. I also love any reminder in the Bible that He is a God of justice. He doesn’t just sit on a throne and watch, He is in and around us and wants what is good and right. I believe God has placed on me a heart for justice, so reading verses like these give me a nudge to recognise that this comes straight from God, and to keep trying to do His work here on Earth where He’s put me. – Corrin, Office and Media Coordinator, youth leader
To me, the verse highlights Jesus’ gentle character. I understand that reeds are quite fragile, much like ourselves, yet Jesus treats us with gentleness to ensure we don’t break and our fire for Him doesn’t diminish. He won’t dismiss us however “far gone” we may feel. – Priscilla, YA Hub and young leader
Pursuit lifegroup, like many others I am sure, have been following along with the series on Isaiah. During our conversation, we got onto discussing how much of the Christianity presented to us, often on social media, is aggressive, arrogant, bombastic, misogynistic, and racist. One of my favourite books is J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and a favourite passage in The Return of the King is a proverb: “The hands of the king are the hands of a healer”. Tolkien, who was a devout Christian, said his faith was the ultimate source for his work, and his parable could well be used to describe Jesus. And if this could be true of Jesus, then what difference could we make in the world if this was the story – the story of compassion – that was the story of Christianity we immersed ourselves in and found ourselves a part of? – Callum McGregor, Pursuit, Worship, ESOL cafe
God bless, Josh.