Rise and Shine
Rise and Shine
J. B. Hixson, Ph.D.
Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1)
When I was a kid, my mom often would wake me up on school days with the loud refrain, “Good morning, Glory. Rise and shine! Time for school!” Since no one likes to be “blessed with a loud noise in the morning” (Proverbs. 27:14), I repeatedly tried to convince her that this morning ritual was unnecessary. My efforts to stop her from fulfilling her motherly duty were, as you might expect, unsuccessful. Years later, as I was reading Isaiah, I discovered that my mom actually was quoting Scripture when she engaged in this annoying daily ritual. I always suspected she was a prophetess. After all, throughout my childhood she seemed to know what I was going to do even before I did. When I uncovered Isaiah 60:1 my suspicions were confirmed.
About eight centuries before Christ, the prophet Isaiah foretold of a time in Israel’s future when “the days of your mourning shall be ended” and “your people shall all be righteous” and “shall inherit the land forever.” (Isaiah 60:20-21) He was referring to the future messianic reign of Christ. It will be a time of unprecedented peace on the earth. When the Son of Man returns to the Earth in all of His glory to establish His earthly kingdom, God’s glory will be prominent like never before. (Zechariah 14) Foretelling this time, Isaiah writes, “Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1) When the day dawns on the future Kingdom of our Lord, it will be a morning of glory like never before.
When my mom called me “Glory,” it was not just a play on words. It was an accurate label for God’s people. As we wait for that glorious kingdom to come, the glory of the Lord is present in the lives and hearts of His people. “Rise and shine,” Scripture says, “the glory of the Lord is upon us.” We need to let His glory shine lest darkness prevail and overshadow the earth. Jesus put it this way, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)
“Rise and shine” is more than a morning routine; it is a daily obligation! I am reminded of a chorus we used to sing in the youth group at church. It went like this:
Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory.
Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory.
Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory.
Children of the Lord.
Unfortunately, most of us rise each morning but we forget to shine. Ask yourself this question this morning. If you walked into a dark room today, would you disappear? Or would you fill the room with the radiance of God’s glory? May the Spirit of Christ and the joy of your salvation be a light to those around you this very day. Good morning, Glory!
J. B. Hixson, Ph.D.
Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1)
When I was a kid, my mom often would wake me up on school days with the loud refrain, “Good morning, Glory. Rise and shine! Time for school!” Since no one likes to be “blessed with a loud noise in the morning” (Proverbs. 27:14), I repeatedly tried to convince her that this morning ritual was unnecessary. My efforts to stop her from fulfilling her motherly duty were, as you might expect, unsuccessful. Years later, as I was reading Isaiah, I discovered that my mom actually was quoting Scripture when she engaged in this annoying daily ritual. I always suspected she was a prophetess. After all, throughout my childhood she seemed to know what I was going to do even before I did. When I uncovered Isaiah 60:1 my suspicions were confirmed.
About eight centuries before Christ, the prophet Isaiah foretold of a time in Israel’s future when “the days of your mourning shall be ended” and “your people shall all be righteous” and “shall inherit the land forever.” (Isaiah 60:20-21) He was referring to the future messianic reign of Christ. It will be a time of unprecedented peace on the earth. When the Son of Man returns to the Earth in all of His glory to establish His earthly kingdom, God’s glory will be prominent like never before. (Zechariah 14) Foretelling this time, Isaiah writes, “Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1) When the day dawns on the future Kingdom of our Lord, it will be a morning of glory like never before.
When my mom called me “Glory,” it was not just a play on words. It was an accurate label for God’s people. As we wait for that glorious kingdom to come, the glory of the Lord is present in the lives and hearts of His people. “Rise and shine,” Scripture says, “the glory of the Lord is upon us.” We need to let His glory shine lest darkness prevail and overshadow the earth. Jesus put it this way, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)
“Rise and shine” is more than a morning routine; it is a daily obligation! I am reminded of a chorus we used to sing in the youth group at church. It went like this:
Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory.
Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory.
Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory.
Children of the Lord.
Unfortunately, most of us rise each morning but we forget to shine. Ask yourself this question this morning. If you walked into a dark room today, would you disappear? Or would you fill the room with the radiance of God’s glory? May the Spirit of Christ and the joy of your salvation be a light to those around you this very day. Good morning, Glory!
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