Shine!

Shine!

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Isaiah 60:3 KJV

Context: This was Isaiah's message to the Jews of his time. They had sinned against God and He had punished them. They had been scattered across several nations, but the message here is: whatever it is I had done to you in the past, I am about to do a new thing. I am about to change your story. The message then is still the same now: God is the One who can do a new thing. It does not matter how long the old has persisted or settled; as long as it is God's will, He will move the heavens and the earth to bring His purpose to pass.

Light: The central theme for the entire chapter is LIGHT. I am asked to arise because the light of God has come upon me. Before I shout at the news, a fundamental question is: is my life the sort that if God's light should shine on it, God's glory will made manifest in me? I note that it is called 'my light' in today's extract, but in context, it is first the glory of God shining on me, which then translates to the Light that shines in and through me. I don't have what it takes in or by myself; it is first and foremost about God. 

God wants to shine in and through me. In fact, the one tested way by which God is glorified is for mortal man to show his forth. Those who think it is impossible for mortal man to please God see the example of a life touched by God, and they are encouraged. And that is the essence of the latter part of today's extract. 

Gentiles and kings: How else can my life attract strangers if it is not different from theirs? If I live the same way the world does, how does my life speak, minister and attract others to the light? Check out the caliber of people who the light in me will attract: people who never knew God, and those who have the power to influence and direct people's attention. As my light shines in my little corner where I have been placed, one person is drawn to the light. As we both shine out, another person is drawn yet again and the circle of influence grows. 

How did the apostles of Acts change their world: one message at a time. But there was an expression in the Bible which puts all these in perspective: The council members were astonished as they witnessed the bold courage of Peter and John, especially when they discovered that they were just ordinary men who had never had religious training. Then they began to understand the effect Jesus had on them simply by spending time with him. Acts 4:13 TPT. The encounter with Jesus had left an indelible mark on the disciples and men could see it just by looking at them. Can the same be said of me and you? 

Rise Up: if I truly know who I have believed and received, I cannot keep quiet. I note that kings are to be drawn to the brightness of my rising, not my compromise it my blending in. I get nothing by trying to be popular or accepted by men. I gain nothing by being ashamed of my allegiance and confession. You don't light a lamp and keep it under a bushel; you place it where its brightness can reach the farthest. The world is crying out for help; it has tried things its own way for quite some time but nothing has changed. It is time for those who bear the vessels of the Lord to live up to His expectations of holiness. You can't pass on God if you don't have Him, and you can't shine out if his light is not in you. His time of favour is here.