Arise!

“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.” Isaiah 60:1-3

Our text opens with a powerful word: “Arise.” This isn’t just a casual suggestion – it’s a command, a battle cry, a call to action! Imagine the sound of an alarm clock blaring in the night, shaking you awake with urgency. That’s what “arise” means here. It’s a wake-up call, telling us to “shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.” God’s glory is here, and it’s time to rise up and let His light shine through us. But don’t miss what comes next – “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people” Isaiah 60:2. This isn’t just any kind of darkness; it’s deep, overwhelming, all-encompassing. And when that darkness comes, we cannot afford to be caught sleeping.

The call to “arise” is urgent, because there’s a battle ahead. Darkness is coming, and it’s up to us to be prepared with the light of Christ. We must not allow ourselves to be found in spiritual slumber when the enemy’s plans are in full swing.

In Matthew 25, we read about the ten virgins, five wise and five foolish. The key difference between them? The wise virgins had oil in their lamps, while the foolish ones did not. When the bridegroom arrives, the foolish ones are left scrambling, unprepared. Jesus warns us in Matthew 24:12 that “because iniquity will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” We are in danger of falling asleep spiritually, but Jesus is sounding the alarm: Wake up! The bridegroom is coming!

We see this urgent call to awaken echoed in Joel 2:1, where God says, “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain.” This alarm is not a mere warning; it’s a command to prepare for the coming of the Lord. And just as the alarm rings out to us, we must sound the alarm for the next generation. There’s a wave of darkness coming that we’ve never seen before, and the enemy is working overtime to bring destruction. He’s strategising to take down God’s vessels, to stop the rise of future leaders, and to thwart God’s purposes in these last days. That’s why we must stand firm, arise, and resist the darkness.

In Isaiah 60, the prophet warns that darkness will cover the earth and people. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this kind of darkness. In Genesis 1:2, we read that in the beginning, the earth was formless and empty, and “darkness was upon the face of the deep.” This darkness wasn’t just the absence of light – it was a force, a presence that wanted to keep the earth in chaos and confusion. And in the same way, the darkness of these last days is a force, a personality that seeks to hold people in confusion and destruction.

But the good news is this: light always dispels darkness. In Genesis 1:3, God said, “Let there be light,” and the darkness was pushed back. That light wasn’t just physical light – it was the light of God’s presence, His word, and His glory. And Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world.” We, the body of Christ, are God’s strategy to bring light into the world and push back the darkness.

Just as God sent Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, He sends us to bring light into the darkness. When Jesus healed the blind man, He didn’t just pray from a distance; He acted. And in the same way, God is calling us to rise up and act. But here’s the painful truth: if we fail to pay the price for the anointing, if we don’t prepare ourselves, we might miss the very assignments God has for us. There are people out there—people who are suffering, people who are lost—waiting for the light of Christ to shine through us. If we don’t rise, if we don’t step up, they may never hear the message.

Imagine this: arriving at the moment of destiny, only to find we’re unprepared. That’s a tragedy we must avoid at all costs. We have a responsibility to step into our God-given purpose and bring light into the darkness. Our refusal to rise could mean someone’s suffering or eternal separation from God. But if we arise, if we prepare ourselves, if we pay the price for the anointing, we will step into our destiny and fulfil God’s purpose for us in this generation.

In conclusion, if we want to prepare the next generation for what’s ahead, it starts with us. We must arise and shine because the darkness is coming, and we need to be ready. The future depends on us—on our willingness to step into our roles as the light of the world. The time is now. Let’s not miss our moment. Let’s arise and prepare the way for the next generation. The call is clear: Arise!

Kay Alli