Saturday, August 3, 2013
Isaiah 60:4-6 Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. The multitude of camels shall cover your land, The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba shall come; They shall bring gold and incense, and they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.
ARISE AND SHINE (6)
Wow! Can you imagine? Read those words again slowly and think about the joy and excitement of what Isaiah prophesies. What joy comes from seeing success!
You might wonder why God entrusts something so important as the spreading of the Gospel for the salvation of souls to us, weak and failing creatures. We can't know all God's reasons, but by doing so God grants us the joy of sharing in the excitement of seeing others come to salvation and being a part of bringing them. If the angels of heaven rejoice over one sinner who repents, then what joy we can have when we are a part of the process of bringing that sinner to repentance and faith. There really is nothing more exciting.
One of the great discouragements in our congregations is when we do not see that success. Some congregations seem to dwindle or grow only very slowly. We try to witness to people and get shut down or people turn a deaf ear. We live in a society that is self-satisfied and self-secure and people do not seem interested in a God who can care for them much less forgive them. That can be discouraging and make us want to give up.
In times like that we need to look again and see the glory of the Lord shining upon us. Our true and greatest joy is found in the fact that our names are written in the book of life.
However, God is allowing us to see and rejoice today. We just need to "Lift our eyes all around." Look to mission fields in countries like India, Nepal, and Africa. See how many hundreds and thousands living in the darkness of heathenism are being brought to the light as the Holy Spirit opens their eyes of faith. God has granted us to have a part in that work and grants us the joy of His success. Lift your eyes and "You shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy."
