Today’s Reading: Isa 39:1–40:31, Luke 14:1–35, Job 9:12–19
Today’s Theme: Heralds for God
Today’s lessons remind us that we are God’s heralds, called to proclaim His message to the ends of the earth. Our message should be salty (explained below) and not the wrong message. Go spread the good news today.
Isaiah 39:1–40:31
Behold your God
Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” (Isaiah 40:9, ESV)
We have been called to proclaim the good news as heralds of our king. We go out and declare His kingship, greatness and goodness through the proclamation of the Gospel.
The word used for herald in this verse literally means messenger of good news, bring good news, to tell, to announce and publish. The sense is “to announce or convey a message of positive information about recent and important events”. It is connected to the word euangelion which is to evangelise.
We call upon all men to behold the greatness and wonder of God. To consider the rewards and payments He will give, to know Him as a shepherd, to acknowledge Him as creator, the God who is eternal and does not grow weary and by His power can strengthen those who wait on Him (serve Him).
The Good News we proclaim is the Gospel that through God’s only Son Jesus Christ, by His life, death and resurrection a way has been made in the wilderness for man to be with God. To be forgiven of their sins and to escape the wrath to come.
Luke 14:1–35
A salty message
“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Luke 14:34–35, ESV)
Our Christian distinctiveness must be evident, sharp, clear and without confusion. We must enhance the taste of the world around us and give the taste of the Gospel with its sharp and distinct flavours of justice and grace and not the mushy pea tastelessness of compromise.
As heralds of the king our message must be clear, full bodied and seasoned to be appealing to the taste buds. So our presentation of the gospel matters, if our lives do not match up to the message then our message is not salty but bland and without taste which is useless and unappealing.
We are called to be disciples who count the cost and therefore live the message we speak which gives the message real power and authenticity to those who hear it.
As you meditate on this point today consider the uses of salt which include being a seasoning, a fertiliser and a preservative.
Job 9:12–19
The wrong message
If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice. (Job 9:16, ESV)
Job has the wrong picture of God here as an unloving God who is too high to listen to the concerns of a mere man. Scripture and our experience of walking with the Lord tell us the opposite, God cares, listens and responds.
We must ensure the image we portray of God as His heralds is true to scripture and reality. We must not paint God as just angry and unapproachable or as so “loving” that He lets us get away with everything.
The true picture of God can only be found in the Bible and is best expressed through His Son Jesus the Christ.
From 17th until 23rd August the Daily Bible Reading notes will take a shorter summarised format for the summer break.
Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.
Additional resources
The Gospel Coalition on Luke 14