Week 5 Day 2 Devotions
You Are the Servant of the Lord
“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant
for the people and the light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes of the blind, to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in
darkness.” Isaiah 42:6&7
These verses were written for the nation Israel and were a reminder (which they often
needed) of the reason they were called into existence as a nation. They were called to
live under God in a covenant relationship with Him, allowing themselves to be kept by
Him and led by Him. They were to show the world around them what a nation under
God looked like, how a nation under God lived, and in this way they would be a shining
light to the nations. For this reason God called Abraham, who left his home and with his
wife Sarah went to live in Canaan. Through Abraham and Sarah God created the nation
Israel and established it in that part of the world. Have you ever wondered why God did
not call a North American Indian couple, or a southern African San couple but rather a
Middle Eastern Bedouin couple through whom to create a people who would be a shining
light to the nations? Well, He certainly could have chosen anyone, but the land of
Canaan was the best place at that time to establish a shining light to the nations because it
stood on the main trading route between the two great world powers of that time, Egypt
and Mesopotamia. By placing His covenant people in Canaan all the world was meant to
see and hear about the God who is the creator and sustainer of the world.
You and I are often placed by God in the places where we live and work for the same
reasons. Whenever we go out of our front doors the world can see lives which radiate
Jesus, shining hope into the lives of those around us. Our spirit inspired acts of mercy
can set free those who live in the dark dungeons of sin and despair.
Pray that as you work or play, as you shop or rest, you will point to Jesus in all that you
do; that you will be the servant of the Lord today.
Light of the Gentile world, appear!
Command the blind thy rays to see,
Our darkness chase, our sorrows cheer,
And set the plaintive prisoners free. (125)
