December 5 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

The Prince of Peace, the Son of David, was announced by Isaiah. The story of his coming was proclaimed by the evangelists, each with a different emphasis. Jesus made God's kingship real in this world. Today, the kingdom is here—and it is coming.

Bible Reading:

Isaiah 60:1–4

Bible Text:

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.... Nations will come to your light (Isa. 60:1, 3).

Devotional:

Here's the announcement of the intervention by God: The glory of the Lord, like the pillar of light in the desert, illumines the crying figure in the ruins of Zion. And the voice of God says: Arise, it's the dawn of a new day!

Twice in three verses we find the words "your light." In the first verse "your light" means the light that shines on you. In the third verse "your light" means the light that shines from you.

This is how the New Testament pictures our situation. The light that came to us, the presence of God, is the coming of Jesus Christ. He came to Bethlehem when the day broke before the night was over. The dazzling light of the glory of the Lord descended and shone on all who welcomed with open hearts the Savior and light of the world.

And now the light also shines from us.

It is still true that "darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples" (v. 2). But "you are not in darkness." "You are all sons [and daughters] of the light and sons [and daughters] of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness" (1 Thess.5:5).

"Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn." In spite of the lingering night. it's amazing how many have come to the light. This month we redouble our efforts to say to all who are still in the night: "Wake up ... rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Eph. 5:14).

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.