Shine!

Shine!

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭60:1‬ ‭AMP‬‬

[1] “Arise [from spiritual depression to a new life], shine [be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the Lord]; for your light has come, And the glory and brilliance of the Lord has risen upon you.

The Context and Focus:

The verses above reflect the conditions of Zion at the time. Zion was the hill of Jerusalem on which the city of David was built. It represented atrategic strength, power and grace, but lately, sin had done a number on that city. The land where God had promised to put His presence had become a breeding ground for iniquity and wickedness. The people of God had forsaken Him and gone their own way, wilfully sinning and ignoring God's express commands on how to live. As always, there are earthly and eternal consequences for sin. It bears repeating again that God will punish sin, no matter in whom it is found. He has no favourites when it comes to sin; as we know, even His Son Jesus bore the brunt of God's displeasure of sin when it seems God forsook him on the cross. I need to take careful stock of my life right now, and without wasting time, go to God with ant burden of sin, and ask God for mercy and forgiveness. It is impossible for a man to continue and persist in sin and demand that the grace of God abound. 

The Message:

It is clear that nobody can get away with sin, yet we try and push our luck, trying to see how far we can get before we get punished, or also thinking we can get away with it. The experience of Zion is instructive: God sees all I do, and his nature of mercy and justice means that I get the reward for right living, as well as due punishment for unconfessed sin. God will not be God if He was not a fair, merciful, righteous, true, faithful, loving, and just Father. It is on this basis that the verses above make sense. God had punished Zion for its sin, but He was now going to show mercy. He had applied his justice for the wrong Zion had done, but now, He is applying His love for the place He had chosen as His own. God is the One who breaks, but He is also the One who heals. When he shows up, years of pain and regret become cycles and seasons of joy and peace. As He showed up for Zion, it was time for Zion to arise and take its rightful place. As He showed up for Zion, it was time for Zion to shine out with the light of God. 

The Conclusion:

That is a timely message of hope for the times we are in now. I take comfort from the verses above, sure in the knowledge that if I confess my sin, and turn over my life to Jesus, the Life and the Light of God will shine in and through my life, and it will be a witness that the world cannot ignore. That which lies ahead becomes bigger and better and greater than whatever may have gone before. And as I shine, of course, other people in darkness are attracted to the light. Light is so powerful that even the smallest sliver or trace will attract all sorts, even including evil too. Light has that nature of attraction and repulsion at other times. Light will draw close attention to all you do, good or bad. Light is expected to shine, and remain in place, no matter what goes on around it. God is faithful, and He will do His part by providing all that I need for life and Godliness, but I must then play my own part by showing off my identity and ownership. The world is waiting for that manifestation. God's time of favour is here.