Friday after the Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on November 22, 2019 by under
Scripture: Isaiah 60:7-22 (NKJV)
60:7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; They shall ascend with acceptance on My altar, and I will glorify the house of My glory.
8 “Who are these who fly like a cloud, and like doves to their roosts?
9 Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, to bring your sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them, to the name of the Lord your God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because He has glorified you.
10 “The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; For sin My wrath I struck you, but in My favor I have had mercy on you.
11 Therefore your gates shall be open continually; They shall not be shut day or night, that men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles, and their kings in procession.
12 For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, and those nations shall be utterly ruined.
13 “The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the pine, and the box tree together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I will make the place of My feet glorious.
14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bowing to you, and all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; And they shall call you The City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, so that no one went through you, I will make you an eternal excellence, a joy of many generations.
16 You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles, and milk the breast of kings; You shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 “Instead of bronze I will bring gold, instead of iron I will bring silver, instead of wood, bronze, and instead of stones, iron. I will also make your officers peace, and your magistrates righteousness.
18 Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.
19 “The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory.
20 Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the Lord will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended.
21 Also your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.
22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.”
Devotion
These promises will come true on the Last Day for the Church, which is the Israel of God. When Christ returns the Church shall receive the glory of the nations as she is revealed to consist of people from all nations. We will no longer need sun or moon to lighten us because “the Lord will be to you an everlasting light.” John writes of the Church in Revelation 21:23, “The Lamb is its light.” This blessed heavenly country is the expectation of all true Christians who live in this world as sojourners, looking forward to the fulfillment of God’s promises with longing hearts of faith.
While we live in this world of darkness, sin, and influence of the devil, the Lord has not left us without light. Jesus said in John 9:5, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” He is still in the world in the places He has promised to be: His Word purely preached and His Sacraments rightly administered. His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, shining in our hearts and illuminating our sin-darkened minds, kindling faith that is counted as righteousness in God’s sight. Now we have the light of the world in the Word and Sacraments. On the Last Day, the same Jesus will be our everlasting light.
We pray: O God, so rule and govern our hearts and minds by Thy Holy Spirit that, being ever mindful of the end of all things and the day of Thy just judgment, we may be stirred up to holiness of living here and dwell with Thee forever hereafter; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
