Arise, shine; for your light has come,
And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
Isaiah 60:1
This Bible Verse from Isaiah 60 is nothing short of encouraging.
Here we read about the marvelous rescue from our Redeemer. Our light has come!
We read in the previous chapter, Isaiah 59:9-10, these words:
9 So justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but we walk in deep
shadows.
10 Like the blind we grope along the wall,
feeling our way like people without
eyes.
At midday, we stumble as if it were
twilight;
among the strong; we are like the
dead.
During those days the Church of God was experiencing dark days. It grew smaller and smaller.
Now the Church encompasses both Jew and Gentile believers in Christ.
It will continue to grow, though sometimes it may appear to be diminishing.
Nothing can blow out the wick of light from the glory of our God.
The good news we learn in Isaiah 60:1 is that our light has come!
God instructs His people to respond to the light by rising and shining!
We, as Christians, are to serve God by shining a light into the world. Many others will come to know the Saviour.
It is a dead faith that does not radiate light, joy, and desire to shine for Christ!
The opposite is to walk in darkness or deep shadows.
In the second portion of Isaiah 60:1, we learn it is the glory of the Lord that has risen upon us!
This light is extraordinary light, the lamp of Christ lighting the way for us believers.
It invites others into its warmth, and it beams from the heart of Christ.
The glory of the LORD inspires the believer to live with a powerful rhythm.
We experience light over darkness and choose to live in the light.
The opposite is living in the shadows, far from justice and righteous living.
We would look for light but grope blindly. We would not know where we were going, hoping at midday to see the sun.
The vast army of believers will continue to grow as we do our part to bring others to Christ as God leads.
Those who sit in darkness will have eyes opened to see the light, as the Word of God brings light and truth to those He wills.
How can we not rise and shine for a mission that Christ heads? A mission that all nations will come to know of Christ, and the Church of Christ will be the triumphant Church?
In God’s timing this will happen, but for now we do our part to share the gospel.
The LORD’s glory shines on His church and causes those who live in darkness, Gentiles and Jews alike, to see the glorious light and life of Christ who saves us.
After a season of suffering and distress, this church, the Church of Jesus, will live in the light of Christ our LORD, and the glory of God forever and ever.
Amen.