I heard another pastor say, the other day, “People put more faith in a face mask than they do the Blood of Jesus.” That’s a sad truth. As Christians, we need to be more concerned about what the Word of God says instead of what the world says.
How would you like to be so separated from the world’s way of thinking that you’re only thinking what God thinks about things? Then it’s time to arise!
Arise and Shine!
“Arise from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you – rise to a new life! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness all peoples, but the Lord shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen on you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings the brightness of your rising.” – ISAIAH 60:1-3 (AMPC)
The word “arise” (qū·mî in the Hebrew) means to get up and change your position. Something is affecting you so much that you simply can’t stay where you are any longer but you have to move. Think of it like being roused out of bed by a ringing alarm clock; you suddenly wake up and move to get that alarm turned off!
In Isaiah 60, God is telling people we need to be roused from our old way of thinking about ourselves. Our past is no longer the determining factor in our lives; the Gospel’s truth is. We arise from the old way we walked, talked, believed and we’ve risen to a new life!
The Amplified version of this scripture brings clarity by using the word “prostration.” The world is trying to beat you down and make you think you have to exist in life dictated by your past; but God tells us that His glory has risen upon us and changed that dictate.
It’s God’s grace, mercy and love that makes this possible! We have faith in Jesus and God’s Word!
See yourself differently!
In these verses, the words “rise” and “risen” and “arise” (after the first time arise is used) is a different Hebrew word; it’s zā·raḥ. It infers God’s presence, such as the rising of the sun brings light into the darkness. It radiates and fills the room.
Think about raising your blinds in your house on a sunny day; doing so completely changes the atmosphere of your room. That’s how God wants to illuminate and change your way of thinking about who you are.
In the past, you may have lived based on the circumstances of your past; but as you trust God, the circumstances of your past are overwhelmed by God’s glory manifesting in your life!
Not only is this truth freeing for you, but it’s a truth that is desperately needed by the world. This is why we’re not told to both RISE and to SHINE! As the Apostle Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6, “That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the gracious gift of God…”!
Stirring up the gift IN you is needed by the world AROUND you! Arise to your new life and shine!!
