Isaiah 60 Devotional

Light Not Our Own

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.”Isaiah 60:1 (BSB)

Zion is told to rise and shine, but the light is not hers. It has come to her, and the LORD's glory rises over her while thick darkness covers the peoples (60:1-2). The rest of the chapter flows from that received light. Nations and kings come toward it. Her children return from far away, and camels arrive with gold and frankincense (60:3-9).

A city once forsaken and avoided becomes a joy for generations (60:15). Violence is gone from her land, and her walls and gates are named for salvation and praise (60:18). At its height, the sun and moon will no longer be needed, because the LORD himself will be her everlasting light, and her days of mourning will end (60:19-20). Revelation describes the new Jerusalem the same way, lit by the glory of God, with the Lamb giving it light (Revelation 21:23). Whatever brightness God's people have is reflected glory. That frees you from needing to shine on your own, and calls you to stand where his light falls.

To think about: Where are you straining to shine on your own, and what would it look like to reflect God's light instead?