Isaiah 61:2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn…

The word that the Lord put on my heart for 2025 is that it will be the year of favor and the day of vengeance. We know from 2 Peter 3:8 that the Lord doesn’t see time the way we do, so a year and a day could represent a season of time. The way favor and vengeance will coexist reveals the mercy and goodness of God. It's as if the heavenly courts are in session and the Great Judge has come to judge our deeds

Year of Favor

Favor means the Lord is inclined to bless us and be gracious to us. It can look like deliverance from trouble, physical and financial prosperity, supernatural provision, and more. We see this with Moses and the children of Israel. God showed them favor by delivering them from bondage, moving their neighbors to bless them, providing for and healing them supernaturally during their time in the wilderness, and fighting their enemies so they could receive their promised land and inheritance.

Day of Vengeance

Vengeance is about God’s judgment. As the Judge of the universe, the Lord must punish sin. He balances the scales and vindicates those who have been wrongly accused, mistreated, enslaved, or abused. It would be unjust of Him to let the unrepentant continue in their evil ways.

But in His love and mercy, He always gives us many chances to repent before pouring out His anger.

Who Will Experience What

God’s children—those who are led by His Spirit, walk in obedience, and delight in Him—will experience His favor. Those who have made themselves enemies of God by continuing in wickedness and hardening their hearts to His instructions will experience His judgment.

What Does This Look Like?

The deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt is a perfect example of how favor and judgment can coexist, even in the same geographical location. The Israelites and Egyptians lived in the same country, yet one household experienced weeping and wailing, while another was under the covering of the blood of the lamb.

What Can We Do?

We can pray and repent. It’s not the Lord’s will that anyone should perish—He wants everyone to come to repentance. He has told us that if those who are called by His name repent, He will hear us and heal our land.

When Jonah announced God’s judgment against Nineveh in Jonah 3, the people repented with fasting and prayer. The Word says:

"When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, He changed His mind and did not carry out the destruction He had threatened." (Jonah 3:10)

For those of us who have experienced injustice and have left vengeance to the Lord, we can rejoice because the Lord is coming to rescue us, wipe away our shame, and deliver us from those who sought to oppress us!