19 January 2014 - light up the darkness

19 January 2014 - light up the darkness

It is too little, the LORD says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

God wants to brighten our lives.  He wants to put a new life inside us that we can't hide.  He wants to put a new song into our mouth, a hymn to our God.

Everyone who has "been sanctified in Christ Jesus" is "called to be holy".  John the Baptist is a model for us in this.  He realizes that the light of nations does not originate from within himself.  Yet he plays a pivotal role in revealing that light.

‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

So how do we make this light manifest so that the tribes of Jacob may be raised up and the survivors of Israel restored?  How do we show forth this light so that God's salvation may reach to the ends of the earth?  Let us say with the psalmist, "Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will."  Let us be like "all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours." 

We cannot do his will on our own strength.  But doing his will is how we make shine the light of the kingdom.  So we must call upon his name.  In other words we must rely on him for everything.  He is good and answers us.  We are all the servants through whom the LORD reveals his glory.  He has formed us from the womb for this purpose.  Let us never restrain our lips from his praise.  May his light ever shine!