Rise and shine

    *Que scene*

Mom: "Get up its time! The school bus is about to leave! Your gonna miss it!"
Child: *groans*... "Just five more minutes"
Mom: "No now, they won't wait for you!"
Child: *sigh* "Fineeee"


    We all have been here and some worse than others. But really...no matter how young or old you are. Do you truly like to jump right out of your warm and cozy bed everyday to do things you don't always like to do? Yeah we all have those days but we have those days (well I do at least) when we are just so excited for something on our lives that we don't mind the unreasonable time that requires our eyes to be opened. And for those that love the 5 am wake up call,well...your not human.

    But in all seriousness, we can take this matter along with get psyched through Christ. Just to know the matter that Christ can beat out the darkness on any given day tells us that we should be running out of bed. Of course this would be a lot easier if we got to bed on time. So when I look at this passage below I think of how awesome our God is and how crazy we are for not wanting that all the time. I mean yeah we can still be on fire for God at 8 am without having to break our sleeping habits. But when you get up, take each morning by the horns and say that you are going to make the light shine through the darkness above all else. It is such an encouragement to know that nations will come to our light to our lights. It is said that those that bring the light can look above them and see others coming after them because that is the way. The best way to describe this is of course the actions of a true leader. But our hearts throb and swell with joy once we do this because the wealth from Christ will flow through us. But should we do it just for the riches of Christ?


"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you: your sons come afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. Herds of camels will cover your land young camels of Midian and Ephah."

    As the Isaiah passage moves on it talks about us being like flying clouds. We move constantly and as we move through great parts of our lives, we collect people onto our journey. The most interesting part I noticed was that foreigners will rebuild your walls and their kings will serve you. Like what does that really mean? That when you attract other people of the world by your light they will serve you? Maybe it is just that. It shows that even outsiders from us will contribute to the rebuilding of Zion. But we can use this as an example that everyone has and needs the spot of rebuilding the kingdom here on earth through evangelism. We are called to always keep out gates ( our hearts, minds, arms, homes) open because their is always a time that one is thinking of coming to serve along side of us.

 
“Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests? Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your children from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor. Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion. Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations—their kings led in triumphal procession. For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined. The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the juniper, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn my sanctuary; and I will glorify the place for my feet. The children of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel."

    Now the biggest thing that holds us back from the evangelism is the matter of not being accepted. I mean even God himself was denied several times while being on earth as GOD! Even when we go through this God will make us the everlasting pride and joy through generations because we are the living proof of Christ. I think we need more and more of that each day because God seems to be nothing but invisible to others. We might not be in tight with others because of the vast difference between us and others but Christ is one fire to see the effort. When we seek true love through things foreign we can know that our Lord is Lord. I saw this first hand when I was in the Dominican and it was such a huge smile on my face when I felt the Lord shedding his light on us through people we never met.


“Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one traveling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations.You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and well-being your ruler. No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly.”



    I feel as if there wasn't one focus for today's message it was just a jump for joy saying get up and shine through your God because he has a whole lot of light for you to use for him. This is the passage of Isaiah 60. Take it to heart this week. Come back here throughout the week and ponder it, rip it apart, and think what it truly means to you and share it with someone. Tell yourself what it really means to "Rise and Shine" for Christ and are you really doing it?