THE WHY AND HOW TO ARISE AND SHINE
Text: Isaiah 60: 1- 7 (KJV)
By Pastor Zacch Olorunnipa
"1Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 2For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 4Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 5Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. 6The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD. 7All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory."
Outline:
• Introduction
• Why Arise and Shine?
It is a Law (Is. 60:1; Ps. 19:7)
It is of the Lord (Is. 60:2; Ezk. 12:25)
The Lord is the Light (Is. 60: 1, 3; Jn. 8:12; 9:5; Mt. 5:14)
It is a sign of Life (Is. 60: 6-7; Ps. 150:6)
• How to Arise and Shine
Connect with Christ ( Jn. 1: 4, 9, 8:12, 9:5, 12:46, Nu.6:25, Ps. 67:1, Mt. 5:14)
Consume God's word ( Jer. 15:16; Ps. 119:130; 2Cor 4:4,6)
Commit to God's Work (Mt. 5:16; Dan 12:3)
Cultivate Righteous Living (Mt. M13:43, Pro. 4:18)
Call forth God's Promises (Job. 22:28, Rm. 4:17)
• Conclusion
INTRODUCTION
Both the words ARISE and SHINE in Isaiah 60:1 are indicative of a change. The good news is that the change is a positive one. They both connote improved standard of life, particularly in line with God's plan as revealed through Prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 29:11) and also Apostle Paul (3 John v.2): "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jer. 29:11, NIV); "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" (3 John v.2, KJV)
The book of Isaiah is full of prophecies given by Isaiah as received from God. Many of Isaiah's prophecies given in earlier chapters were unpalatable to the Israelites as these described the imminent wrath, judgment and punishment of God that would come on the people as a result of their disobedience to God, His laws and their general decadence. In particular, there were prophecies about various woes upon the unfaithful Israel (Ch. 5 & 29), that would lead to unpleasant outcomes such as the one described in Isaiah. 29:4: "And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust".
Against these backdrop of downcast, dejected and depressive status of Zion, Isaiah also pronounced many blessings that would accrue to those that have contrite and repentant heart and humble spirit who would be obedient to the Lord of Light and follow His statues. Some of such pronouncements and promises of blessings, which would make the people to "arise and shine" are spelt out in Chapter 60 of Isaiah. The implication is that no matter how negative your past or present status may be, God can make you arise and shine. Is your marriage in a mess? Are you finances failing? Is your spiritual life sliding down the hill? Are you facing darkness with respect to your career, children, school work?, etc. As discussed in this message, you can arise and shine. Yes, you can. With God all things are possible (Mt. 19:26). Shout Hallelujah!
WHY ARISE AND SHINE?
Before embarking on a strategy to make something a reality, it helps to have the conviction that the thing is doable or achievable. Let me share with you 4 reasons why you can arise and shine in the context of Isaiah 60:1.
1. It is a Law.
The first 2 words of Isaiah 60: 1 are ARISE, SHINE. This phrase is not given as a suggestion. It is not an advice. It is not a dream, neither is it an opinion. It is a command given as received from God. When a command comes from God, it is perfect according to Ps. 19:7: "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple". Whatever, the word of God says is settled, even in heaven (Ps. 119:89): "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven". God has spoken His word that you should arise and shine. You need a positive change from your present status. It is consistent with the word of God. The devil cannot change alter the plan of God for you if you cooperate with God.
2. It is of the Lord
The validity of a statement or command depends on the author of that statement or law. The command to arise and shine originated from the Almighty God who says He is able to perform His own word: "For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, ---------, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD" (Ezekiel 12:25). The LORD who commands you to arise and shine will make it happens in His own time.
3. The Lord is the Light.
The main reason given by Isaiah why the people should arise and shine is because their light has come and the glory of the LORD is on them: "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee" (Isaiah 60:1). The light referred to here is the Messiah who is Jesus Christ the Son of God. Malachi 4: 6 refers to Him as the Sun of Righteousness. Jesus Christ aptly described Himself as the "light of the world" two times in the scriptures: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). Wherever Jesus Christ is, there is light. As the sun radiates light into the earth, so also Jesus Christ has the capability to radiate divine rays of light to those who will heed His call to get out of darkness and come to His light.
4. It is a Sign of Life.
Only the living can arise and shine, the dead cannot. 18For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee:----- 19The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: ------ (Isaiah 38: 18-19). The last phrase in the book of Psalms also alludes to this: "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD" (Psalm 150:6). As long as you are alive the potential to arise and shine is in you. All you have to do is praise God and you will shine because Psalm 67: 5-7 says God will bless anyone that praises Him. The blessings of God can make you arise and shine.
HOW TO ARISE AND SHINE
While God has already made provisions for His followers to arise and shine, these followers must play their part to actualize this plan in their individual lives. Note that as long as the power switches in your house are in off position, there will be darkness in the house especially in the deep night hours. When you turn the power switches to "on" position, and everything else is in order, there will be a change from darkness to light. The change occurred because you took an action. What are those things that you must do to arise and shine as you are meant to be? Five of those are outlined below:
#1. Connect with Christ
Before any object can shine there must be a source of reflection of light to that object. In other words, it is reflected light that makes things sparkle and shine. Jesus Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5) and He declares “Without me you can do nothing” (John 15: 5). In order to shine therefore, you must be connected with Jesus Christ from which you can obtain the light that will make you shine. Furthermore, He can give you the power to arise as He is the custodian of all heavenly and earthly power (Mt.28:18). His power that made Lazarus to rise up after 4 days in a decaying death status (Jn. 11: 17- 44) and His power that made a 12 year old damsel to arise from dead (Mk. 5: 41-42) can certainly work for you. You are not yet dead, you are alive. Your case is not as bad as Lazarus or the 12 year old dead damsel. Connect with Jesus Christ today and receive the power to arise and shine.
#2 Consume God’s word
The word of God has all the divine rays of light that can make you arise and shine if used faithfully. The centurion knew the power in the word of Jesus and tapped into it when he told Jesus to just “speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed” (Mt. 8:8). Jesus hearkened to his request and honored his faith and the servant was healed immediately. Prophet Jeremiah valued the word of God so much that he searched for it and made it part of his diet (Jer. 15:16): “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts” .Furthermore, by declaring that the “The entrance of thy words giveth light (Ps. 119:130a) the psalmist knew that if he could get the word of God into his system, he would shine. Even, the Almighty God Himself promised good success and prosperity (a form of arising and shining) to His people if only they would get involved with the word of God, day and night (Joshua 1:8). It is obvious therefore that one of the strategies for achieving “arise and shine” status is to create an affinity for the word of God to the point that it becomes indispensable to one as food is to continuous living.
#3 Commit to God’s work
Since the Bible says “faith without work is dead” (James 2:20), any member of the house hold of faith who does not want to remain cast down as a dead lion must be prepared to do the work of God conscientiously. As a believer, your good work can make you arise and shine if you follow the counsel of Jesus in Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”. While all the works that can advance God’s kingdom agenda are important and necessary, there is one that stands out in that it can make you arise and shine. That is the work of winning souls to God as pointed out by Prophet Daniel: “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever”. (Dan.12: 3). Do you want to arise and shine?. Get busy with the work of God, particularly in winning souls.
#4 Cultivate Righteous Living
Aside from connecting with Christ, ‘Consuming’ His words and committing to His work, righteous living must be the focal point of the one who will arise and shine. He or she must always strive to be in right standing with God in conversations, in deeds and in all things. Speaking through king Solomon, the word of God indicates that the righteous (or the just) will shine brighter and brighter: “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18). The power to live righteously has been given to us by Jesus Christ. If you use it, you will arise and shine in Jesus name.
#5 Call forth God’s Promises
Another way to appropriate the blessings of God that can make you arise and shine is to use the power of the tongue to your advantage. What I mean is that you should harvest God’s promises and plans (for you to arise and shine) by simply confessing and claiming them with your mouth and taking appropriate action to make them happen. Remember God’s words as uttered by Job: “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways” ( Job 22: 28). Call forth positive things into your life that can make you “arise and shine”. The Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4 practiced this and got her miracle. With her only son dead in her house she ran to Elisha for help. When Elisha asked her “Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child?”, her answer was “It is well” (2 kings 4:26). The result was that God(through Elisha) honored her positive declaration and her dead son was able to “arise and shine”. The Bible says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Proverbs 18:21). You that are hearing this message or reading the text version, I declare to you that your life will not be cut short in Jesus name. You will “arise and shine” in the Mighty name of Jesus.
Conclusion.
The command “arises, shine" (Isaiah 60:1) has wide applicability and is meant to transform lives if obeyed. Sinners can become saints, the downcast can become uplifted, failure can turn to success, weeping can be changed to joy, the rich can get richer, the sick can be healed. In fact any abnormal situation is tantamount to darkness and can be reversed when the light of God comes to that situation. Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, is the source of solutions to all life problems. Anyone who wants to arise and shine must connect with Jesus Christ by accepting Him as his/her Lord and Savior, know His words and do them. Your arising and shinning will be unstoppable in Jesus name.
