”"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
Isaiah 60:1New International Version (NIV)
Isaiah 60:1 Devotional (Daily Bible Verse)
Arise, Shine, for your light has come
In Isaiah 60:1, the prophet Isaiah commanded Zion/Jerusalem to “Arise, Shine, for your light has come“. And indeed, the Redeemer had come to rescue His people from the thick and desperate darkness he described in Isaiah 59:9-10.
Moreover, Isaiah concluded chapter 59 by prophesying that Jesus was coming. And then in chapter 60, he declared that Jesus, who he referred to as “their light”, had arrived.
Therefore, the message and the arrival of the Redeemer were aimed at birthing hope in the hopelessness of the darkness that God’s people were in. And they were to respond to it by ceasing to continue in darkness and ultimately radiating light.
Arise and Shine
Consequently, the prophet Isaiah urged the people of Jerusalem to arise and shine (Isaiah 60:1) because Jesus had arrived to rescue them. Prophet Isaiah, therefore, expected them to arise so that they could shine God’s light, as that was their mission.
Arise
You will, therefore, notice that prophet Isaiah urged God’s people to first arise or receive God’s light because the same had arrived. Therefore, God’s people were to receive God’s light because the same had arrived.
The prophet, therefore, urged them not to continue in the darkness they were in. Because the darkness they were in signified laying down, gloom, and hopelessness. And, Isaiah, in Isaiah 60:2, prophesied that “darkness would cover the earth”, thus, more hopelessness, which they didn’t need to continue.
When Jesus came, He brought God’s light (life) to you and me (John 1:1-14). This is why you are to receive His light through Jesus Christ. And you do this by placing your faith in Him. That is, you believe in Him.
Shine
Additionally, the people of Jerusalem were to shine God’s light once they received it. They were to radiate or replicate it because that was the expected effect.
Jesus, in Matthew 5:14-16, is recorded to have said: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden (14). Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house (15). In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (16)”.
Just as the people of God were to shine God’s light for the Gentiles to see and be attracted to the same (Isaiah 60:3), you are to shine God’s light to those around you. You are to guide and give them hope.
God’s glory
Finally, God’s glory was to rise upon them because His glory is coupled with His light. For unless God enters a situation, just like He did from the very beginning (Genesis 1:1-3), darkness (hopelessness) persists.
Prayer/Blessing
Lord God, You brought Your light into the world and my life so that I could receive it and shine it. And in doing so, You gave me Your mission in this world.
I, therefore, pray that You grant me the grace to focus on my mission every day of my life. This is my humble prayer in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
1 Samuel 12-14:23 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
