Mission Devotional Day 6
It is too light a thing
Mission Devotional Day 6
READ: Isaiah 49:6-7
David Bosch, a famous South African mission scholar, points out, “There is, in the Old Testament, no indication of the believers of the old covenant being sent by God to cross geographical, religious, and social frontiers in order to win others to faith in Yahweh.” Yet in Isaiah 42 and 49, we read of Israel’s call to be “a light to the nations.” It is an echo of God’s covenant with Abram in which God said He would bless Abram and that in him all of the peoples of the earth would be blessed.
Practically speaking, what does a light do? It provides illumination that enables one to see where one is and what is happening, to have a proper understanding of a situation.
In Isaiah, God says through the prophet, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Israel struggled with the truth that God’s salvation was for all people. And they struggled to understand the obligation and opportunity that they had. But glimpses of God’s plan for redeeming all that he has made breaks through from time to time. God gives to the world not only Israel but us (the church) in order that his salvation may reach the ends of the earth.
Whether we are the people of Israel, a Presbyterian congregation, or simply an individual seeking to follow Christ, it is easy to focus on ourselves and miss how God has blessed us in order to be a blessing to others. Especially in days that are filled with threat and uncertainty, it is easy to hunker-down and turn inward, to settle with being preoccupied with our own needs and comfort.
Yet the broken, frightened, and frightening world is where Jesus invites us to join with Him in His redemptive work. Alongside partners in mission, we have the privilege of sharing and showing the love of God. And our confidence? It does not come from relying on our own ability and strength. It comes from trusting in the One whose strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
Jesus says that “People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.” If that is part of our future, what does that tell us about the focus of our lives now?
It seems to be a part of our fallen nature that we are more comfortable with folks who are like us. How might this be an obstacle to our being a “light to the nations?”
PRAYER
Almighty God, you have a love for the world that is bigger than we can know or imagine. Help me reach out to one person today whose background is different than mine, with an encouraging word, a reminder of God’s love, or an offer to pray for them. Amen.