Day 10 – Isaiah 60 v 1 – 6 (Song – The Prophets they proclaim)
Bible Reading – Isaiah 60 v 1 – 6
The Glory of Zion
60 “Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
All assemble and come to you;
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters are carried on the hip.
5 Then you will look and be radiant,
your heart will throb and swell with joy;
the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,
to you the riches of the nations will come.
6 Herds of camels will cover your land,
young camels of Midian and Ephah.
And all from Sheba will come,
bearing gold and incense
and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.
Opening Prayer
Reflection
“Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip.
5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy;
When I lead worship, I don’t usually pick an isolated verse, from any passage I am using. The context and surrounding verses are so often vital to the understanding of the words. However, today I do that!
This passage and especially these words from the Prophet Isaiah sum up for me the wonder of Advent. The coming of God, to the world he has created. The wonder of lifting our eyes from the ground to the skies. Lifting them from the pavement up and out into the wonder of creation around us.
When we see someone filled with happiness we often comment on how radiant they look. Perhaps a mother holding her baby, a bride on her wedding day, someone celebrating some special achievement with a friend. Often when we are out in nature touched by the wind and sun our faces rosy with the weather and smiling with the wonders we have seen. As we look on the vista of the mountains or the wonder of a flower blooming in the cracks on the pavement. We cannot help but feel our faces break into a smile.
How much more will we be described as radiant when it is the presence of God we are reflecting.
A time for your own reflection
Read the passage again and spend a little time thinking of how the passage speaks to you. The wonder of scripture is that there is always something new to discover and each passage speaks to us in our own need and circumstances.
Only if you feel you want to – share your thoughts with someone. God inspires our thoughts and you never know, the person you share with may be waiting to hear what you have to say.
Song
Here is the next song –
“The Prophets they proclaim”
[Verse 1]
The prophets they proclaim,
Great and glorious is your name,
They saw the future clear,
That your love, would draw near.
[Chorus]
Your promises are true;
Your grace is ever new;
We worship you, O Lord.
Filled with wonder and with awe
[Verse 2]
Held firmly in your hands,
the world securely stands,
We see the awesome sky.
Where stars and planets fly
[Bridge]
Starlight beamed down On the place,
where the earth was touched by grace,
We stand before the Son,
Come here in human form.
[Chorus]
Your promises are true;
your grace is ever new;
We worship you, O Lord.
Filled with wonder and with awe
[Verse 3]
To the glory of your name,
We give to you our praise,
In the stable we can see,
God come near, to you and me.
[Verse 4]
Galaxies you shaped and formed,
Give praises to their Lord,
Fire fills our hearts,
As your grace on us works.
[Chorus]
Your promises are true;
your grace is ever new;
We worship you O Lord.
Filled with wonder and with awe.
[Outro]
To the glory of your name,
We give to you our praise,
In the stable we can see,
God come Near to you and me.
Prayer
Loving God, as we come to you in this time of prayer, we remember your glorious call for us to arise and shine. You created us to reflect the light of your love in a world that often walks in darkness.
Lord, we pray that we will be enthused and excited by your challenge you have called us to. Stir in our hearts a desire to shine brightly for you.
Give us boldness and courage as we let the light of your presence bathe us in your radiance. Let your light dispel the shadows of doubt or fear.
We pray that our actions and words will show the beauty of your grace. Let us be beacons of hope reflecting your goodness and mercy. Amen.
Copyrights
Reflections and Prayers
By Chris Hancock
Songs
Words of the songs are by Chris Hancock
Music generated on Suno.com
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Bible Readings
Bible readings are from the New International Version (NIV)
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