This is no small matter!

Isaiah said of Jesus, “Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word” (vv. 1-4 NLT). You say, “That’s nice, but how does it influence my life?” More than you may think! When Jesus Christ sits on the throne as Ruler of your life, the Spirit that rested on Him will rest upon you too! With that in mind, go back and reread the words in italics slowly and thoughtfully. If you see evidence of them in your life, nurture them with prayer and water them with the Word of God. And if you don’t see any evidence, get down on your knees and pray, “Father, make me more like Jesus.” Before you buy a car, the salesperson usually lets you test drive a demo. Chances are if you like it, you will buy the car. We are each called to be a “demo” for Jesus. This is no small matter! Why? Because in the final analysis, our words, attitudes, actions, and reactions either drive people away from Christ or attract them to Him.