Which Banner is Over You?

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Scripture:

Isaiah 11:12 He will raise a banner for the nations
    and gather the exiles of Israel;
he will assemble the scattered people of Judah
    from the four quarters of the earth.

Isaiah 13:2  Raise a banner on a bare hilltop,
    shout to them;
beckon to them
    to enter the gates of the nobles. (NIV)

Observation:

Leaders and nations have their symbols which are recognizable.  The people are able to look up, see the banners, and realize who it is that is over them and protecting them. Isaiah was providing a prophetic voice for the people of Israel.  The banner of the Lord would be visible, more powerful than any banner of any nation or leader on this earth.  For the exiles this is exciting news for God is planning to appear and gather his people to him.  The banner will not be hidden but very visible so that all of God’s people will know where they can turn and gather beneath his flag. 

God’s people will gather and they will be reinstated as his children, as nobles within the kingdom.  Now they will be invited to enter the gates and take their place within the kingdom of God, constantly under the banner of the King.

Application:

This has been one of those summers where we get to watch the World Cup.  People of the world are passionate about their national teams.  They wear the team colors, fly flags from their vehicles, wear scarves and cry when their teams lose! 

Just as we align ourselves with our home teams, so we are to align ourselves with the Lord’s team.  God has raised the banner and it is not hidden.  He is high and lifted up for all of us to see.  We know where he is and we know the way to get there, the question is whether we are going to join him. 

The world has all kinds of banners which are flying high.  We are great advertisers these days and could it be that we are allowing the banner of the Lord to get lost in all the rest?  Could it be that we are too attracted to the things of this world that we don’t even bother to look up and discover that we have aligned ourselves under a banner which we would never have chosen?

We being beckoned to enter the gates and to live our lives under his leadership and this type of life is transformative.  Living under the Lord’s banner means that we are all-in.  There are no longer any divided allegiances, but we are passionately engaged with him and his kingdom work because we have entered in and been transformed and adopted into his great family.  We are now considered nobles! As we grow up we look, act, and respond as one of his, reflecting his image, the image embroidered on the banner, to the world.

If we do not look like the image on his banner, then we have probably allowed ourselves to have divided loyalties.  This is much like a World Cup fan trying to wear the colors of two nations.  Somehow it just looks a bit crazy.  It's time to decide.  Where will we be aligned?  Which banner is flying high over your life?

Prayer:

Lord, please keep me in a place of your banner continually flying over me.  Amen.

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