Fri.’s Devo - Shine as Lights

Read: Isaiah 60:1-62:5; Philippians 1:27-2:18; Psalm 72:1-20; Provers 24:11-12 Today is all about the Good News! Many believe this is about the Messiah coming but this abundant blessing on Israel and the world has not happened at this level yet. It is talking about returning to the splendor and wealth of Solomon’s time. This is what we can look for in the coming years. We are at the very end of the delivering the baby…right about at ‘push’ time. All of our suffering and waiting will soon be over and we will walk into a time of great prosperity and peace. Violence will disappear from our land and war will end. The Lord will be the light of the world like it was in the Garden of Eden. Chapter 61 describes what Jesus came to do and beyond that. When Jesus read this scripture in the synagogue (Luke 4:16-20) he stopped in the middle of verse 2. During our time God will finish it. He will bring his vengeance against his enemies and give those who mourned a crown of beauty and blessings. They will become great people on the earth. They will rebuild all that the wicked destroyed in their sinful lifetime. God’s people will become the head of nations and not the servants of sinners. The Bride of Christ will wear righteousness as a robe. Isaiah could feel what it would be like to be Jesus. He described the feeling as a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride in her jewels. That is a person who feels beautiful and worthy of praise. Through Jesus, God would show the nations what his justice looks like. People will praise him and become his seed springing up everywhere. Jesus will pray for us until we become his righteous city, Zion. Jerusalem and the people of God will become a light of God’s glory. We will go from being desolate to God’s delight, the Bride of Christ. We will commit ourselves to him as a bride does to her husband. Paul tells us to live right now as though we were citizens of heaven because that is what we are. We should not be intimidated by our enemies. We have been given the privilege of suffering with Christ which should give us confidence not shame. Instead of becoming arrogant in our standing with God, we are to serve one another as Christ did. He was humble and always thinking of others instead of himself. He took an interest in others lives and was our example of how to live to please him. We are to live a bright lights in a world of darkness and sinful people. Our lives are to be poured out like a liquid offering to the Lord. May we live to give your glory today. Thank you for the good news of our glorious future.