Isaiah 60:19-22 
The sun will no more be your light by day, 
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, 
for the LORD will be your everlasting light, 
and your God will be your glory. 
Your sun will never set again, 
and your moon will wane no more; 
the LORD will be your everlasting light, 
and your days of sorrow will end. 
Then all your people will be righteous 
and they will possess the land forever. 
They are the shoot I have planted, 
the work of my hands, 
for the display of my splendor. 
The least of you will become a thousand, 
the smallest a mighty nation. 
I am the LORD; 
in its time I will do this swiftly.” (NIV)

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Madeleine L’Engle became one of my favorite authors when I was in junior high. A teacher recommended the book A Wrinkle in Time. It was the first time I ever looked at the world through the eyes of a girl. L’Engle helped me see what I could not otherwise perceive. 

Great books are like that, aren’t they? 

Our Father in Heaven is the greatest of authors, the best storyteller of all time. Not only does he tell fantastic tales, but he also declares truths we can only anticipate today. 

Here in Isaiah 60, he spoke through the Prophet words of truth, life, hope, and heaven. Consider these phrases: 

. . . for the LORD will be your everlasting light. 

Your sun will never set again, . . . 

. . . your moon will wane no more; . . .

. . . the LORD will be your everlasting light, . . .

. . . your days of sorrow will end.

Then comes the promise:

They are the shoot I have planted, 
the work of my hands, 
for the display of my splendor. 
The least of you will become a thousand, 
the smallest a mighty nation. 
I am the LORD; 
in its time I will do this swiftly.

God, for some reason, chooses to display his splendor through people like us. 

God wants to use you to beautify his world. God wants to use you to declare his love to this whole world. When we yield our hearts and minds to Him, He amplifies our effectiveness. He maximizes our productivity. He enriches the lives of everyone we meet. 

The last words of this prophecy give us hope to embrace until we see it fulfilled. 

I am the LORD; 
in its time I will do this swiftly.

L’Engle’s third book in The Time Quintet is entitled A Swiftly Tilting Planet. I wonder where she got that idea.

Lean in to God’s great redirection. 

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I will lean in to God’s great redirection, His eternal correction, through His certain perfection. 

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Our Father, we see the end of all things through your eyes. Thank you for making this possible. Thank you for giving us hope to live toward, purpose to live out, and your light to enjoy along the way. How incredible it is that you can take people like us and express your love to the whole world. Thank you for including us. Make us the kind of people who include others in this great good news. Amen.