February 9

TO READ: Isaiah 66:17-23

A Startling Fact

I will perform a sign among them. And I will send those who survive to be messengers to the nations . . . and to all the lands beyond the sea that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. There they will declare my glory to the nations.

Isaiah 66:19

John R. Mott was born in Livingston, New York, in 1865. While studying at Cornell University, he met the English missionary, J.K. Studd, who led him into aa reasonable and vital faith.a Shortly thereafter, Mott attended a conference led by the famous American evangelist Dwight L. Moody. During that conference, Mott joined one hundred other men who volunteered to commit their lives to foreign missionary service.

In 1910, when Mott was forty-five years old, he chaired the Edinburgh Missionary Conference. In his opening address Mott said, aIt is a startling and solemnizing fact that even as late as the twentieth century, the Great Command of Jesus Christ to carry the Gospel to all mankind is still so largely unfulfilled.a Mottas influence dramatically changed the churchas involvement in world missions. He traveled the world tirelessly, convening conferences where the needs and opportunities for worldwide mission were presented, and recruiting and training the many young people who responded to his challenge. Yet almost a century later it is still aa startling and solemnizing facta that there are billions of people about whom the Lord would say, a[they] have not heard of my fame or seen my glorya (Isa. 66:19).

The Lord intended that his people should adeclare [his] glory to the nations,a and he promised a day when missionaries would bring apeople back from every nationa(66:20). These people would become worshipers afrom week to week, from month to montha (66:23), and some of them would function as apriests and Levitesaa"servants of the living G.o.d (66:21).

This ancient picture of the people of G.o.d in action needs to be studied by the church. In so much of the world, men and women still have not heard of G.o.das fame or seen his glory. What is the problem? Why is this the case?

The Lord told Isaiah, aI will gather all nations and peoples together, and they will see my glory. I will perform a sign among them. And I will send those who survive to be messengers to the nationsa (66:18-19). First, G.o.d gathers people to himself. Then, he shows them a asignaa"the cross and the empty tomba"and asendsa those who, because of the Cross, asurvivea G.o.das judgment to be his messengers. But those who never see the significance of the Cross never understand the need of men and women to survive the judgment and accordingly see no reason to be sent as messengers.

Thereas another astartling and solemnizing fact.a There are millions who have seen the sign of the cross and have survived the judgment. But when they were sent, they never went. And that is why so many have not heard of the Lordas fame. Thatas a shame!

February 10

TO READ: Isaiah 60:1-9

Rise and Shine

aArise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all the nations to see! For the glory of the LORD is shining upon you.a Isaiah 60:1

Any man who has been in boot camp will never forget the sound of a bugle blowing reveille. The harsh, jarring tones dragged him into the challenging reality of another dayas coping with drill sergeants, those delightful gentlemen who followed hard on the bugle, rattling bunks and shouting, aCome on, you lazy good-for-nothings. Rise and shine!a Ironically, the two things most recruits are reluctant at that moment to do are to rise and to shine.

Isaiah was no drill sergeant, and he didnat use a bugle. But he did have a message for Jerusalem: aArise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all the nations to see! For the glory of the Lord is shining upon youa (Isa. 60:1). Jerusalem, the city whose history was a succession of tragedies and trials, was being promised better days. These days came, in part, after the return from the Babylonian exile. Then, centuries later, in A.D. 70, the Romans came and devastated the city once more.

Isaiah was looking down the centuries to something more than the physical restoration of the beleaguered city. He could see with the farsighted vision of a prophet what the apostle John saw much later and with greater clarity: aThe holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from G.o.d out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared for her husbanda (Rev. 21:2). The new Jerusalema"the church, the community of believers, the company of the redeemed. The contrast with the unG.o.dly, who are living in adarkness as black as nighta (60:2), is stark and startling.

The call to the church is to arise and shine,a and the rationale for the call is that athe glory of the Lord is shining upon youa (Isa. 60:1). G.o.d does not expect anybody to rise and shine with heavenas glow on their faces without first shining his own radiance into their lives.

What does G.o.das radiance look like? When the load of guilt is removed from a manas shoulders, the frowns of worry begin to disappear. When the promise of life eternal is embraced, the light of hope fills the eyes. When the beauty of grace is apprehended, a quiet smile of inner satisfaction lightens the countenance. When the Lord becomes a present reality in the believeras life, the heart begins to glow with his pa.s.sion.

When this happens, people notice and are attracted. Isaiah said, aAll nations will come to your light. Mighty kings will come to see your radiancea (60:3). People from all walks of life will be drawn to the people who have risen and are shining. For they, too, are looking for life and beauty, hope and gladness. But first, the church must rise and shine.

February 11

TO READ: Isaiah 42:1-9

Light in Dark Dungeons

aI, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. . . . I have given you to my people as the personal confirmation of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide all nations to me. You will open the eyes of the blind and free the captives from prison. You will release those who sit in dark dungeons.a Isaiah 42:6-7

As Charles Wesley was lying ill in the home of his friend John Bray, he read Lutheras Commentary on Galatians. His eyes were opened to the wonders of G.o.das saving grace, and he wrote in his journal, aThis I know, I have anow peace with G.o.d.a9 He immediately composed a hymn of thanksgiving to the Lord ent.i.tled, aWhere shall my wondering soul begin?a In it he expressed amazed delight at the love of Christ. More than 7,200 other hymns flowed from Charles Wesleyas pen. Many of them were composed on horseback as he traveled tirelessly around Britain, preaching the good news. He was frequently known to arrive at his destination, jump off his horse, and, without greeting anyone, rush into the house shouting, aPen and paper, pen and paper!a in order that he might record the hymn that had been born in his imagination while riding.

The lyrics of Wesleyas hymns were poetic reflections on the great truths of the Bible. One of his best loved compositions, aAnd can it be,a is one of his greatest reflections on spiritual truth. In this hymn Wesley wrote the following testimony of G.o.das grace in his life: Long my imprisoned spirit lay Fast bound in sin and natureas night, Thine eye diffused a quickening ray, I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth and followed thee.

It seems quite likely that when Charles Wesley wrote these lines he had been meditating on Isaiahas great prophecy about the Lordas servant, who would abe a light to guide all nations,a would aopen the eyes of the blind and free the captives from prison,a and would arelease those who sit in dark dungeonsa (Isa. 42:6-7).

Even as a young student at Oxford, Charles Wesley was known for his piety and his commitment to serious living. He helped found the aHoly Cluba and, a few years later, sailed to Georgia as a missionary. But it was many years before he made his peace with G.o.d. His adark dungeonsa were not populated by overt egregious sins of the flesh. But in the years before he personally trusted Christ, his soul was dark nevertheless with doubt and fear, with striving and despair.

Every man has his own dark dungeons, some darker than others. All men need a aquickening raya from G.o.da"perhaps a shaft of blinding insight or maybe the gift of grace quietly dawning in the heart. The result of G.o.das light is a new life, which in Wesleyas case arose, went forth, and followed.a That is the result G.o.d desires.

A man who follows Christ is called to be aa light to guidea (42:6). It is unlikely a modern man will be called to write hymns on horseback as a means of enlightenment for others. But it is highly probable that being a light will involve clearly testifying to G.o.das powerful grace at work in the hustle and bustle of the office or the factory.

February 12

TO READ: Psalm 92

A Song for Morning and Evening

It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening.

Psalm 92:2

Composer Franz Schubert died dest.i.tute in Vienna at the age of thirty-one, leaving nothing but his clothes and what his brother called asome old music.a It transpired that this aold musica contained a series of beautiful songs (lieder) which are still performed today. One of his best known song series was based on twenty poems written by a traveling horn player. We know nothing of the horn playeras travails, but we know enough of Schubertas life to marvel that a man experiencing such pain and sadness could write such beautiful music. Schubert wrote to a friend, aI feel myself to be the most unhappy, unfortunate creature in the world. . . . Every night, when I go to sleep, I hope I will not wake again, and every morning reminds me only of yesterdayas unhappiness.a10 The ancient book of Psalms is another song series. The psalms have been in use for millennia in the liturgy and life of the people of Israel. Psalm 92, for instance, is a song ato be sung on the Lordas daya (Ps. 92:t.i.tLE). This does not mean that ancient worshipers sang praises only on the Lordas day. Those who follow the psalmistas thinking know that ait is good to proclaim [the Lordas] unfailing love in the morning, [his] faithfulness in the eveninga (92:2). Every morning, every evening.

Morning and evening thankfulness is good, not only because it lifts the downcast soul and makes the G.o.dly aflourish like palm treesa (92:12), but also because it is an expression that comes from the satisfied soul. That soul can say, aYou thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!a (92:4), and marvels, aLord, . . . how deep are your thoughtsa (92:5). The thankful heart is made astrong as a wild bulla and exclaims, aHow refreshed I am by your power!a (92:10).

By contrast, the miserable soul compounds its own pain. Schubert went to sleep dreading the next morning, and woke reliving the previous dayas unhappiness. But if a man cannot recount the Lordas goodness, if he cannot recognize it in what is common, in good times and in bad, he will not think to agive thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most Higha (92:1).

If you go to bed miserable, you stand a good chance of waking up sad, but if you lay your head on the pillow with thanksgiving, you are more likely to greet the morning with joy. And you may even sing as you shave!

February 13

TO READ: Ephesians 1:3-14

Heavenly Realms

How we praise G.o.d, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ.

Ephesians 1:3

A woman was asked by her husband, aWill there be golf in heaven?a She wisely replied, aIf it is necessary for your eternal blissa"Yes!a His question and her response suggest that our idea of heaven is everything we enjoy on earth, only more so! So if the boss gives you 50-yard-line seats at the Super Bowl, you think youave adied and gone to heaven,a while your wifeas idea of heaven might be a few days on a tropical island with blue sky, white sand, azure ocean, warm sun, and candlelit dinners for two. Who knows? But Scripture speaks of heaven in a way that should not be left to speculation or relegated to somewhere in athe sweet bye-and-bye.a G.o.d ahas blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christa (Eph. 1:3). It is clear that this is not reserved for the future, because G.o.d araised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realmsa (2:6). The tenses say it all: ahe raised us;a awe are seated;a awe are one with Christ Jesus.a Weare already there!

When G.o.d saves people, he transports them from where they were to where they will be. They were adead,a now they are alive. They were aunder G.o.das angera (2:3), now they are seated ain the heavenly realms.a So in one sense, heaven is not something we antic.i.p.ate to be like the best of earth but better. Instead, it is something that we experience now while we may be going through some of the worst of earth!

What then are these aheavenly realmsa (1:3)? John Stott helpfully suggests that the heavenly realms are athe unseen world of spiritual reality.a11 It is there that we experience aevery spiritual blessing,a and it is there that the arulers and authorities in the heavenly realmsa are being educated by G.o.d (3:10). The emphasis is on spiritual reality.

Experiencing life in the heavenly realms is all about being related to the risen Christ, having immediate access to him in his glory, and enjoying security in his love. It is in this invisible realm of spiritual reality that you have all that you need to live wisely, winsomely, and well. So rather than thinking longingly of something like pristine beaches or 50-yard-line Super Bowl seats, why not rejoice in the abundance of blessings that make the invisible realm as real as the material? Enjoy where you are right now, while youare on the way to where youare going sooner or later.

February 14

TO READ: Ephesians 2:1-10

Unsinkable Man

G.o.d saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you canat take credit for this; it is a gift from G.o.d. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Ephesians 2:8-9

The t.i.tanic, the largest and the most luxurious ship of its time, was a shipbuilderas delight. Because the ship featured a double hull that included sixteen watertight compartments, the t.i.tanicas builder boasted that the ship was unsinkable, that anot even G.o.d could sink this ship.a But at midnight on April 14, 1912, the great ship, with 2,224 souls aboard, ploughed into a huge iceberg at twenty-two knots, and two and a half hours later lay at the bottom of the Atlantic. The unthinkable had happeneda"the unsinkable had sunk. The builders of the t.i.tanic had good reason to be proud of their workmanshipa"but no grounds for their boasting. Majestic though the t.i.tanic undoubtedly was, G.o.d was more than her match.

So it is with mankind. There is an undeniable majesty about man, the pinnacle of G.o.das creationa"a uniqueness that is undeniable. Nothing else in creation comes close. Man knows it, thereas no point in denying it, and it is perfectly appropriate for mankind to rejoice in it. But when man boasts of abilities that he does not possess, he gets into trouble. Like the t.i.tanic, man is far from unsinkable.

It is precisely when man comes up against G.o.d that he discovers the awesome grandeur of divine law and the majestic glory of divine standards. It is then that he begins to take on water and sink under the weight of divine indignation and the burden of human failure. No amount of effort on manas part can bail him out. He may boast of his superiority, claim invincibility, and believe in his own sufficiency, but he will sink nevertheless. He canat sail on as he should, and he canat save himself either.

This is where G.o.das grace comes in. G.o.d is willing to do for man what he cannot do for himself. Salvation will not happen for man because of his efforts but because of G.o.das intervention. Paul explained, aG.o.d saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you canat take credit for this; it is a gift from G.o.d. . . . so none of us can boast about ita (Eph. 2:8-9).

Perhaps it is hardest for a man to admit that he needs saving at all, and that, if he does need saving, he canat save himself. Proud boasts drip too easily from a manas lips when a call for help is more appropriate.

Another ship, the California, was within twenty miles of the distressed t.i.tanic, but her radio operator was not listening, so the calls for help were never heard. But G.o.d is always listening.

February 15

TO READ: Ephesians 2:11-22

Ethnic Cleansing

For Christ himself has made peace between us Jews and you Gentiles by making us all one people. He has broken down the wall of hostility that used to separate us. . . . Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to G.o.d by means of his death, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

Ephesians 2:14, 16