Bible League: Living His Word Arise, shine;For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. In our verses for today Isaiah speaks of a coming day when the people of God will shine with the glory of the LORD. At that time Daniel says we will "shine like the brightness of the firmament" and "like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3). We will arise from the darkness, affliction, and calamity of the old order of things into the light, blessing, and happiness of the new order to come. The glory of the LORD, His beauty and magnificence, will shine upon us and we will shine by reflecting His glory. What does it mean to shine with the reflected glory of the LORD? No doubt it includes the Shekinah glory of the LORD that was a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night for the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 13:20-22). For the people of God, the next life will be a place of light as opposed to a place of darkness. The radiant glory of the LORD, however, includes much more than literal light. It includes everything beautiful and magnificent about the LORD. We will shine because we will be like our heavenly Father. At the present time the earth and the people of earth are covered with a shroud of darkness. In the darkness there is a struggle to find any Shekinah rays of glory that will light up the pathway forward. The beauty and magnificence of the LORD's glory is shrouded by the ugliness and inferiority of Satan. In that future time, however, all this will change. And yet, despite the darkness, we don't have to wait for that future time to experience the glorious light of the LORD. Already our light has come. Jesus is the brightness of the LORD's glory (Hebrews 1:3) and He came into the world. He is the "true light which gives light to every man" (John 1:9). Those who accept Him already reflect the glory of the LORD. His light shines through us in the midst of the shroud of darkness and the darkness cannot extinguish it (John 1:5). Arise from the dust and the darkness, then, and shine with the heavenly glory of the LORD! Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 148-150 Psalm 148 -- Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise him in the heights! NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 149 -- Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 150 -- Praise God in his sanctuary! Praise him in his heavens for his acts of power! NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 1 Corinthians 11:16-34 1 Corinthians 11 -- Reverence in Worship; The Lord's Supper NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.Insight Power from the Holy Spirit is not limited to strength beyond the ordinary—that power also involves courage, boldness, confidence, insight, ability, and authority. The disciples would need all these gifts to fulfill their mission. Challenge If you believe in Jesus Christ, you can experience the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 73:24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.The Psalmist felt his need of divine guidance. He had just been discovering the foolishness of his own heart, and lest he should be constantly led astray by it, he resolved that God's counsel should henceforth guide him. A sense of our own folly is a great step towards being wise, when it leads us to rely on the wisdom of the Lord. The blind man leans on his friend's arm and reaches home in safety, and so would we give ourselves up implicitly to divine guidance, nothing doubting; assured that though we cannot see, it is always safe to trust the all-seeing God. "Thou shalt," is a blessed expression of confidence. He was sure that the Lord would not decline the condescending task. There is a word for thee, O believer; rest thou in it. Be assured that thy God will be thy counsellor and friend; he shall guide thee; he will direct all thy ways. In his written Word thou hast this assurance in part fulfilled, for holy Scripture is his counsel to thee. Happy are we to have God's Word always to guide us! What were the mariner without his compass? And what were the Christian without the Bible? This is the unerring chart, the map in which every shoal is described, and all the channels from the quicksands of destruction to the haven of salvation mapped and marked by one who knows all the way. Blessed be thou, O God, that we may trust thee to guide us now, and guide us even to the end! After this guidance through life, the Psalmist anticipates a divine reception at last--"and afterward receive me to glory." What a thought for thee, believer! God himself will receive thee to glory--thee! Wandering, erring, straying, yet he will bring thee safe at last to glory! This is thy portion; live on it this day, and if perplexities should surround thee, go in the strength of this text straight to the throne. Daily Light on the Daily Path Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,Isaiah 29:19 The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD, And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. Matthew 8:3,4 Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. • And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." 1 Corinthians 3:4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men? 1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 1 Timothy 6:11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Matthew 11:29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. 1 Peter 2:21-23 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, • WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; • and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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