Rise and shine, folks! Don’t forget that Christ is risen and if your are his, you are on the victor’s side.

Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you—rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! (Isaiah 60:1, AMP,*)

There you have it. Arise from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you. Rise to a new life offered to you by God’s grace. Don’t keep on muddling through life when real joy is offered to you in Jesus. Rise and shine, for your Light has come!

Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people). (Eph.5:15, AMP,*)

It does matter how we live. Use your time here on earth wisely. Quit dabbling in sin and flirting with the world. Live purposefully and meaningfully. Don’t spend your time with unworthy things. God has so much better things to offer to you!

Rise and shine, my friend! Embrace the fact that Christ is risen for you. There’s a new spirit at work in you!

Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2, MSG,*)

A new power is indeed in operation. The Holy Spirit lifts us from despair to abundant life. Of course, it does not mean life without struggles. But it does mean we are able to rise above our circumstances with God’s empowering grace. We are freed from the tyranny of sin and death. We are freed from living under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. We are free to live fully in Jesus. We are free to enjoy life with God. Hence, my friends, let’s rise and shine!

 

Gracious God,
Thanks for freeing us from the sin and death.
Thanks for your empowering grace.
Help us to embrace your gifts and
rise and shine for you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Are you sleep-walking through your life or are you shining?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim as you rise and shine!

* [As you might have noticed, I enjoy reading the Bible in different translations and love comparing them. I have started linking the Bible verses to Biblegateway.com so you can easily read (and compare) them in the different versions I’ve used while preparing each post.]

Image courtesy Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Linking up today with Dance with Jesus, Faith-filled Fridays, Five Minute Friday, and Faith Barista.