Shine for Your Light has Come. Isaiah 60:1-2

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you. (Isaiah 60:1, 2)

Dear Father,

I often pray for these children that they will be a light shining in the darkness. As Isaiah says, darkness covers the earth. A thick darkness covers the people. We only need to look around to see that this is true. Evil is everywhere. People are captive to the darkness of evil. Evil causes people to be oppressed and mistreated. Evil causes people to be covered with the fog of deceit, causing people to live in ways that lead to their own misery and destruction. So many people in the world live in the darkness of hopelessness.

It seems so overwhelming. But Isaiah's words remind me that our light is not our own, but you rise as the sun upon us and give us light and fill us full of light that we can spread across the earth. And we are given the simple command to "rise up". From there, you take over.

I pray that these children will have the courage to rise up. To stand up in the darkness and let your light shine. Do not leave them stranded when they stand in the darkness, but rise upon them and let your glory appear over them so that your glory is shown to all around them.

Amen.