Welcome to Our Daily Bread. I'm Sheridan Voizzi, and I've called our reading today Royal Return.

With a worldwide audience estimated in the billions, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II

was possibly the most watched broadcast in history.

One million people lined London streets on that day, and 250,000 queued for hours that week to see the Queen's coffin.

A historic 500 kings, queens, presidents, and other heads of state came to pay tribute to a woman known

for her strength and character. As the world turned its gaze to Great Britain and its

departing queen, my thoughts turned to another event, a royal return. A day is coming, we're told

in Isaiah 45, when the nations will gather to recognize a far greater monarch.

A leader of strength and character, before him every knee will bow and by him every tongue will swear,

including the world's leaders who'll pay him tribute and lead their nations to walk in his light.

Not all will welcome this monarch's

arrival, but those who do will enjoy his reign forever. Just as the world gathered to watch

a queen leave, one day it will see its ultimate king return. What a day that will be when one

and all, in heaven and on earth, bow to Jesus Christ and recognize him as Lord.

Today's scripture reading is from Isaiah chapter 45 verses 20 to 25.

Gather together and come, assemble you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those

who carry about idols of wood who pray to gods that cannot save. Declare what is to be, present it,

let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago? Who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the Lord?

And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a saviour? There is none but me.

Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other.

By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered

in all integrity a word that will not be revoked. Before me, every knee will bow. By me, every tongue

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