Isaiah 60:1
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. (KJV)
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! (AMPC)
For over a year I have had this verse impressed in my heart, it’s a call to action in response to the light God gives. Light is an understanding of God’s word, a revelation of His truth given to you. This scripture teaches that in response to light, we should arise and shine. What exactly does that mean?
In the book of Esther, the Jews were given a death sentence. A decree to kill all Jews was set in motion and the Jews were all in mourning. Esther went in to the King to plead on behalf of the Jews and she was able to get him to issue a new decree. The new decree issued gave the Jews authority to kill anyone seeking to destroy them. After the new decree was issued the bible says in Esther 8:16
The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.
The Jews understood the new decree to the extend the bible said they had light! It was not just words, not just another piece of information, it was Light.
Even though the Jews had light, even though they had authority to kill their enemies, their enemies were still very much alive and active. Despite that, the Jews did something in response to the light they had, they removed their clothes of mourning, they got out of the state of crying, mourning and weeping they had been in prior to receiving light, and started celebrating.
Esther 8:17
In every province and city, wherever the king’s decree arrived, the Jews rejoiced and had a great celebration and declared a public festival and holiday. And many of the people of the land became Jews themselves, for they feared what the Jews might do to them.
They had a festival, rejoicing in the light they had received. Nothing seemed to have changed on the outside but they had an understanding and responded to it by rejoicing.
Sometimes when God shows up in response to situations that have brought us mourning, he sends His word. The understanding of that word brings light, and light produces joy. However, if we do not see the manifestation of that word in while, there is a tendency to begin to lose our joy as we focus on the situation rather than His word. But today God says, don’t wait for things to change on the outside before you start praising and dancing.
Arise- make a decision to no longer live in sadness, mourning or fear. Rip off the clothes of depression and mourning that the circumstance has placed over you. Shine – radiate the glory of God. You shine by rejoicing in the light God has given. As you begin to dance and sing, as you begin to rejoice, you radiate God’s glory. People would begin to wonder what’s going on with you. Why are you so joyful?
God says I have spoken, I have opened your eyes to see the victory I have given you. I have sent you light. Rejoice in that light. Rejoicing, dancing and praising God should be our response to God’s light. As we do so, the earth would yield its increase and the word will be made manifest.
