October 28, 2015

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried
on their nurses’ arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill
and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.” Isaiah 60:1-5

“I’m reminded of two men who were talking about their New Year’s resolutions. The first man said, “We decided as a family, we watch too much T.V. My son watches so much T.V. that he doesn’t get his chores done. My daughter watches so much T.V. that she doesn’t get her homework done. My wife watches so much T.V. that she doesn’t get her work done.” The other man said, “Well, what have you decided to do?” “Well, I have decided that I’m simply going to unplug the T.V. That is as soon as the football season is over!”. God is counting on you and me to make our lives and the ministry of our churches great, but let’s not wait. Let’s begin today to discover the great possibilities ahead of us. In our scripture reading today, Isaiah is speaking about the peace that will come to the nation of Israel. Peace won’t come easily, but the reward will be great. The same is true for us. We can fulfill the great possibilities of peace and hope, if we allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine through us. Peace and hope won’t come easily, but the rewards will be great. May we all do our part in fulfilling the great possibilities God has given to each of us.” (Ron Newhouse, Daily Devotions website, September 22, 2015)

We all know that change does not come easily. And we all know that sometimes peace does not come easily. Each new year that comes along brings the possibility of positive change. During the New Year preparations, many people consider doing something that might change their behavior and their health for the better. And many of those same people quit their plans for change before the end of the month. But positive change does not always have to just involve our personal lives.

What might you be able to do to bring more peace into our families, into our churches, into our communities, and into the world? That is something you will need to consider. But when the light of Christ shines through us, we are capable of great things. “Arise, shine; for your light has come.” Each day can be another “new” opportunity for the Lord to do great things for you, and to you. When we allow the light of Christ to shine through us, we are capable of great things.

Pastor Dave