Gather All Nations, Says the Lord

Scripture: "Knowing their works and their thoughts, I have come to gather all nations and languages; they will come and see my glory. I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, Lud (who are archers), Tubal, Javan, and the coasts and islands far away—who have not heard about me or seen my glory. And they will proclaim my glory among the nations. They will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the Lord on horses and chariots, in litters, and on mules and camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem," says the Lord, "just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. I will also take some of them as priests and Levites," says the Lord. Isaiah 66:18-21

Observation: The word of the Lord as revealed to the prophet Isaiah ends with this message ... while some will remain faithful, people will choose to rebel against the Lord in their practices, and so the Lord will expand his people by gathering the entire world to him. He will give a sign, and send faithful Jews out into the world to proclaim the glory of the Lord, and those people will respond. They will come to the Lord, and the Lord will embrace them into his family, even making them inner-circle priests and Levites. In this way, the entire world will worship the Lord.

And this has unfolded exactly as the Lord declared. He gave the great sign - the coming of Messiah - and beginning with believing Jews, the entire world knows of this sign, and of the love offered by the Lord. Of course, everyone still makes their own choice, and just like Israel many choose a different path and celebrate their choices. However, many others (like myself) have chosen the Lord, and become part of his redeemed family.

Application: I cannot believe the amazing love of the Lord, so great that he would choose to offer his love to every single person on earth across all time. He never planned to just save one people, but to redeem everyone to himself. I am just one small person in that great plan, and I am so very, very grateful for the Lord's love.

By the work of those first believing Jews, my soul has been brought to the Lord's holy mountain. I have been gathered to the Lord. I wish to be a clean vessel, cleansed by the power of the Holy Spirit, so I may be a worthy offering, pleasing to the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, may I be that clean vessel brought before you. Again today I say yes to the Holy Spirit, I am willing, even desirous, to have your spirit stay and live within me. May I be worthy of your spirit, and made all the more worthy by your spirit's work within me. I cannot be good on my own, as a sinful human, and therefore truly need and desire the assistance and strength of the Holy Spirit to manage my body, mind, and soul. I submit to you. Thank you for your plan to redeem me, a person born and raised so far away from Israel. By your Holy Spirit, may I be a gift to you, my Lord and my God. Amen.