"And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you ... it shall be holy to you" (Leviticus 25:10-12).
Today I turn fifty. I guess I'm finally a grown up. Sadly, I've even received in the mail my invitation to join the AARP - Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons. But nobody told Marilyn, who's in charge of my schedule! No, these will not be years of entering retirement. These will be years of a new refirement. I need more of Your Spirit and more of Your power to fulfill all You have in Your heart to do in me and through me in this next exciting season of life. The best is yet to come.
Prophetically, they say five is the number of grace. And fifty is grace upon grace, ten-fold. I've needed the power of grace through all the experiences and encounters, sins and failures, escapades and adventures You've brought me through this first half of my life. And I have no doubt I'll need even more in this second half. But You'll be with me, just like You always are - picking me up, leading me on, and guiding the way.
This fiftieth year is to be hallowed as holy, set apart for You. It's to be a year of liberty, a year of proclaiming liberty throughout the land in the Spirit of the Lord. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17, NKJV). And it speaks of the season of Your Kingdom at hand. It was the ministry of liberty and freedom in Christ that You proclaimed as the year of the Lord's favor in the Spirit of Jubilee: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18-19, NKJV).
Lord, let it be so. As You've set me free and filled me with Your Spirit of Jubilee, send me forth in this fiftieth year and all the years to come, healing the brokenhearted, setting the captives free, proclaiming liberty in the mighty name of Jesus. Let blind eyes see and deaf ears be opened; let hearts be stirred and spirits be awakened, let souls be saved and the Bride be prepared. Let this Good News of the Gospel of Your Kingdom be proclaimed in my heart and home and to the nations of the earth. The best is yet to come. You've saved Your best wine for last (John 2:10). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
You're invited to our Saturday Cook-out June 11th in Lexington to share about my ministry trip to Africa in August, preaching the gospel in outdoor festifvals and teaching a Pastor and Leaders conference with Wesley Paul Minsitries. Waterford Club House, 6:30-8:30 pm. Please send me a note if you'd be interested. We will also be celebrating my 50th birthday and there's no better gift than the encouragement of my friends in my passion to share the love and power of Jesus around the world! tommyhays@messiah-ministries.org
