Shine

Tuesday, May 2

Shine     

Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the LORD rises to shine on you. Isaiah 60:1

We all go through waves of spiritual highs and lows. We may leave a Sunday service in which the presence of God was so powerful, we didn’t want it to end or we may receive a word of encouragement at just the right time and bow down in praise. We may go on a retreat, or through a rough patch where God’s presence and provision becomes all too real, or we finally get to that place in our spiritual journey where God is speaking to us in mountain-moving ways. When we sense the power of the Holy Spirit we know it’s real and we start to think, yes, this is what I’ve been waiting for! Today’s verse instructs us to rise and shine and allow others to see the glory of God shining within us. Today may not be your day but it does not mean that God has forgotten you.

God calls us to move from relying on things to relying on Him. Spiritual highs are great—they can open our eyes and deeply shape us. But life happens too fast for us to stay there forever. So we have to learn how to enjoy the highs when they come, and weather the lows when they also come—because they will. We must learn to hold fast to our praise. Even if we feel weak in our faith, God takes that and can transform it into a deep faith.

Prayer for today: Dear God, I know that you have overcome the world to give me life and so I can experience Your love. I know today might be rough, but I believe that my mouth shall be filled with laughter, my face will wrinkle with smiles and my tongue shall sing songs of joy. I believe that the Lord will do great and mighty things in my life in this very year. In Jesus’ name. Amen