October 4 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

Isaiah's God is the Holy One of Israel. In God's presence we have to be morally clean. God has chosen his Servant, who will rule in righteousness in a kingdom of peace.

Bible Reading:

Isaiah 2:12–22

Bible Text:

The LORD alone will be exalted in that day and the idols will totally disappear (Isa. 2:17–18).

Devotional:

In the writings of the prophets "the Day of the LORD" stands for the intervention by God.

God has already decisively intervened in human affairs by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Since the ascension of Christ we are living "in the last days." But we still expect a Great Day when all masks will be taken off, all pretense will fail, and everyone will come face to face with the ultimate reality: God.

Isaiah describes that day as one of devastation, when all that is high will be brought low. Proud and exalted people, mighty trees, high mountains, fortified walls---all of them will tumble down. He means that God's hurricane will smash all the great and beautiful idols that surround us. "The idols will totally disappear." But the LORD will be exalted.

Sometimes we get involved in such fruitless discussions. We wonder which sin is greater, adultery or forgery? Cheating your spouse or your government? Sin is sin, of course, and sinning against God carries the death penalty.

If the Bible gives top billing to any sin, it's the sin of idolatry. Idolatry means that we give to things or to people or to nations or to ideas the place that belongs to the God of the universe.

People are forever inclined to cling to idols. But that's not a smart thing to do. The day is coming when "the LORD alone will be exalted, and the idols will totally disappear." Then, where will you be?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.