New Year. New Beginnings.

Today’s scripture is Isaiah 60:17 and I’m reading from the New International Version…

“Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron.  Instead of wood, I will bring you bronze, and Iron in place of stones.  I will make peace our governor and well-being your ruler.”

The Bible knowledge commentary by Walvoord & Zuck says, “Isaiah the prophet was writing to Israel about a New Jerusalem, saying ‘Wealth to be brought to Jerusalem will include not only gold and silver, but also bronze and iron.  The city will be peaceful and joyful.  Also, the Lord will protect her as her Light and Glory.  Her people will be righteous, displaying God’s splendor and they will be numerous. The millennium will be a utopia for which many people have longed.”

These words can also speak to us as Christians because we hear similar words in Revelations 21:1-2. – “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”  And so, we look forward to that great “someday” when “peace will be our governor and well-being our ruler.”

And thankfully, we don’t really have to wait for that far-off, future day, to have peace as our governor and well-being as our ruler.  If we keep our eyes on Jesus and focus on the promises he made, allowing him to rule as King of our hearts, he will provide that peace and well-being now.

He said so in John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Let us pray:

Dear Lord, Help me to focus on Jesus, to draw close to Him through daily prayer and meditation.  Help me to heed His words and to live out His commands, that others may see Him in me.  Help me to allow Him to be my Ruler and to allow His Peace to rule in my heart as my governor.  Help me to love as He loves and to share His Peace with everyone I encounter.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Bernice Howard

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