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.

In order to understand the expectations and demands of the present, it is good to clarify what worked well or went wrong in the past. This understanding will guide present and future conduct, so that the mistakes of the past are not repeated. In this case, the chapter before this one laid out what went wrong. The chosen people of God had now become complacent and comfortable, and no longer upheld God's demands. They still held on to the practices and procedures of the past, such as the fasts and the sacrifices, but their hearts were far away from God. A simple sample of their state is laid out here: hands defiled with blood; fingers defiled with wickedness; lips speak lies; tongue mutters wickedness; no one pleads his case in truth; they conceive trouble and bring forth injustice. How would anyone think that God will be pleased to make Himself manifest in such situations? 

God sent a warning to His people, requesting repentance and return to Him. God will not lower His standards for anyone, and He will not force Himself on anyone, or go against the exercise of our freewill. He promises a new covenant for all who will turn away from transgression and return to Him. For all who return, grace and help required to enable them walk in line with His demands will be supplied by God. He promises to put His Spirit upon all who return, writing the law of God upon their hearts, and putting His words in their mouths. Of course, that which God does becomes  spring that never runs dry, as long as those who receive it remain connected to the right Source. I cannot start in God and then expect to finish strong on my own. I cannot depend on God only when it is convenient, and then seek my own path at other times. The life I have been given is not mine to use as I please but as the giver and owner pleases. 

It is this understanding that drives the direct application of the verse above. Whatever has gone wrong in the past is now forgiven and forgotten by God, if I have truly surrendered it to Him. God wants to be glorified in and through me, and He will do whatever He needs to do to achieve this. I am made in His image and likeness, and I am in the best position to show off His power, enablement and giftings. If His new life is birthed in me, if I have surrendered my life to Him, if He is truly in control of my life, His light cannot be hidden or ignored. His mark of ownership will be obvious. For every product made, there is the manufacturer's label. The same applies to me: if I am truly His, His mark will be on me. His light must not be hidden. His glory must not be hidden. My words, actions, interests and interactions must all reflect His ownership of me. Am I truly shining for Him? Does He know me as His own? God's time of favour is here.