OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL FOR Wednesday, August 4 2021

TOPIC: ARISE AND SHINE

Read : Isaiah 60:1-5

1. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

2. For, 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.

3. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

4. Lift 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.

5. Then 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.

Isaiah 60:1-5

1. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

2. For, 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.

3. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

4. Lift 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.

5. Then 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.

Memorise:

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

Isaiah 60:1

The memory verse for today enjoins us to arise and shine because our light has come. What or who is this light? Here is the answer:

“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”

Jesus is the Light that brings the glory of the Lord to every situation. The moment the glory departed from Adam and Eve, they realised that they were naked. Adam said: ...I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself(Genesis 3:10 ). However, when God decided to rescue man from this shameful state, He sent His Son - the Light, to the world.In our Bible reading of today, we are commanded to arise and at the same time, shine. Why? It is because God made up His mind to lighten the world that had been covered by darkness. It is also because the glory of the Lord has come upon the world.

What or who is this glory of the Lord? Jesus Christ the Son of God is the glory of the Lord. I dont know how deep you may have gone into darkness through sinful habits or associations; however, I have good news for you: your light has come! All you have to do to partake of this light is to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. Matthew 11:28 says Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. In Revelation 3:20 , the Bible saysBehold I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.You can rest assured that if you let the Light in, your life, which may have been plagued with all that darkness represents, shall be lightened up. Darkness is represented by sin, sickness, poverty, sorrow, failure and bondage, whereas light represents righteousness, divine health, prosperity, joy, breakthrough and freedom.Many of us can testify that there is darkness in this world.

The darkness we are talking about is not the absence of electricity, but rather, spiritual darkness, according to Ephesians 6:12 Are you still in darkness? If the answer is yes, why hasnt your own light come?It may be that you have not embraced the Light. Accept Jesus the Light into your life today and darkness will no longer be able to comprehend or overcome you, according to John 1:5

Prayer point: Father, let the Light of Jesus Christ shine on me today. Let your glory be evident in my life today in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.