CPU's don't get jewels in their crowns

Isaiah 42: 6-7:
"I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness,
I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you,
And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations,
To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.


Isaiah is definitely my favorite book of the Bible now. There are such beautiful words and pictures in it! I read chapter 42 last Thursday, but I'm just now getting around to writing about it.

I feel like verses 6 and 7 are my sending out verses as a missionary. He has called me in righteousness, will hold me by the hand, and will watch over me. He has appointed me as a covenant to the people, sending me out as a sign to the lost of His love for them.

I am, as we all are, called to be a light to the nations. Maybe at first that's just those around me, but by no means is God's ultimate highest goal for me to be a light to the people here who already have plenty of access to light. While my next door neighbor may not be a Christian, I can almost guarantee you he's heard about Jesus. There's a church in his backyard! Does this mean I should give up on my hometown, even abandon America? Not at all. But who should be given greater priority, those living in darkness surrounded by light or those living in darkness surrounded by darkness? One is most likely there by choice. The other has never had a choice. Doesn't everyone deserve a choice?

Verse 7 goes on to say we are appointed to open blind eyes, bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison. These are the calls given from the LORD God to the Messiah, Jesus. If this is Jesus' call and He lives within us, then is it not also the call given to all men and women who claim to have Jesus in their hearts?

I am embarrassed to say that for years, I bought into the comfortable delusion that God only called a special few to be missionaries, the rest needed to stay home. I ignored this verse, along with countless others where Jesus tells us to go. We are to be a light to the nations. How can we shine our light halfway across the world? Of course, the Internet has made our world significantly smaller, but how many people do you really think a website can win to Christ? How many actually have Internet access? And do you really want a machine stealing your eternal reward? CPU's don't get jewels in their crowns.

Romans 10:13-15 says it well when it says, " 'for whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!' "

How will they know if we don't go? Of course God can and will use others when we are disobedient. But do we want to make Him do that? Ether 4:14 says, "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise...from another place and you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?" Brothers and sisters, we have attained royalty. Not by any merit of our own, but we have been brought into the royal house of King Jesus. Have we not attained this royalty for such a time as this?

I had intended to talk about more of my favorite passages in Isaiah 42, but I think this is enough for today. Comment. Let me know what you think. It's okay to disagree.