“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee” (Isiaiah 60:1).
“Rise and shine!” Reading this verse from Isaiah brings back memories of church camp. Every morning we awoke to the clang of a camp bell and the voice of a counselor proclaiming, “Rise and shine, girls.” Some of us (the morning people) were already stirring. Others required a gentle nudge and a second admonition, “Rise and shine.” Rising and shining meant climbing out of bed, making up that bed and getting dressed—physically preparing for the day.
“Arise, shine…” What did these words mean to the people in Isaiah’s day? They were prophetic words of hope. A new day—the long-awaited day of salvation—was dawning. The glory of the Lord would be revealed in the face of the Son, Jesus the Messiah. Rising and shining involved spiritually preparing their hearts for His arrival.
How do Isaiah’s words relate to us today? Our Great Counselor speaks and often gently nudges us out of our slumber. “Rise and shine.” The Light is come—come to shine through us to reveal the glory of the Father and guide others to the True Light.
May we prepare ourselves both physically and spiritually for this Lord’s day. “Rise and shine, girls.” Rise and shine and give God the glory in our every word and in our acts of worship.
Sarah Fletcher
Illinois
PRAY TOGETHER: After confessing known sin, ask God to reveal unknown sin in your life.
