January 14 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

All that the Old Testament prophesied about the Messiah has been fulfilled in Jesus. Yet everything turned out to be so divinely different from what anyone would have expected.

For instance, Israel was made to expect a deliverer who would be a warrior. The Messiah (that is, the Anointed One, the King) would scatter all his enemies. He would lead his people into a holy war. He would establish lasting peace and bring back the golden age to Israel and to the world.

What happened to the prophecies of the warrior king?

At this very moment, Jesus is the King. At least one man has seen him in his royal splendor. That man was John, on the island of Patmos. But what about the sword of the King? Yes, he does have a sword. However, he does not wear it where every other warrior keeps his sword, at his left side, ready to be drawn. The sword comes out of his mouth!

It's all part of the great surprise, the news of the gospel of the kingdom. The lion came as a lamb. The judge came with mercy. The reaper came as the sower. And the sword of the King comes out of his mouth. It is the Word that battles for him.

Nevertheless, the Word of the Lord is the sword of the Lord. Christ used to warn the cities where his Word had been heard that if they did not listen and obey, there would be no hope for them on the day of judgment. Christ says the same thing to our continent, once filled with churches and Bibles.

We must not be deceived by the seemingly harmless character of the gospel, or by the free-and-easy way in which people handle that Word. (They like it or dislike it; they take it or leave it.) In reality the gospel has the power to open and close the entrance to the kingdom. The sword is a word, but the Word is a sword!

Reflections

What does this passage and reading say to you about the Word of God in your own life?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

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 updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.