Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Isaiah 60:1 The glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
ARISE AND SHINE (3)
That is a fact. The glory of the Lord IS risen upon you. God's glory is shining on you. Everyone who knows Jesus as his Savior and who turns to God in repentant faith has the glory of the Lord over them.
Do you always see or feel that glory? Does your life always radiate with God's glory? Unfortunately for many of us, we don't. Why is that? How can God's glory be shining on us and we don't see it? Perhaps it is because we don't look.
Remember how Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). Jesus gives peace, His own perfect peace. His peace is strong enough to give us peace in the worst of conditions. Just look at the peace that Jesus had when He was on trial, being falsely accused, spit upon, and brutally beaten. In the midst of disgrace and agony He remained at peace because He knew this was His Father's will and was for the good of all.
Jesus gave us that perfect peace when He reconciled us to God. We now are in God's hands. We don't have to fear His wrath, and if God is for us, there is no one else to fear. But we don't always let that peace dwell in us and comfort us. We block His peace and let our hearts be troubled by focusing on the troubles rather than on Jesus.
Ask yourself how Paul and Silas could sing praise to God when they were locked in prison after they had been beaten. How could Paul Gerhardt write such joyful hymns of praise even though his life was full of great sorrow and losses? It is because they looked to Jesus and kept their eyes focused on Him and His goodness. They did not let their hearts be troubled but let Jesus shine on them with His love and goodness.
So when you get up in the morning, remember that Jesus is shining on you today with the glory of His love and grace. He is blessing you with His forgiveness. He is with you always. When we bask in the light of Jesus' love, He lifts us out of the pit of sorrow and self-pity and makes us shine. Our life then radiates with the light of God's grace.
