Text: Isaiah 60:1
«”Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” — Isaiah 60:1»
The Scripture is telling us to do something: arise and shine, because our light is come. Notice that it says our light has come, not that it is coming. It speaks of the present reality, not a future promise.
As believers, we are called to act on what we believe. An understanding of this divine call brings us out of passivity into an active life of faith.
The light spoken of here is not the light of a candle. It is the Light of Life. It is the very life of Christ. Jesus Himself has come, and His life now dwells in us.
Knowing Who You Are
Ephesians 1:18 teaches that the eyes of our understanding must be enlightened. God wants us to know that we have been transferred from darkness into light.
The Bible says that “a man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.” When you do not know who you are in Christ, you become vulnerable.
Satan’s strength is where darkness exists. Wherever light is, darkness is threatened. If Satan wants to invade a place filled with light, he attacks the light first so that he can steal, kill, destroy, and establish dominion.
But if you know who you are and whose you are, then what the enemy meant for evil can be turned into good. You are that light that prevails over darkness. You are that light that dominates darkness. You are that light that commands darkness to disappear.
Isaiah 60:1 declares that the light has come. You may not feel like light every day, but you know that you are. Your mentality activates your reality. If you believe you are light, you will manifest that reality.
Jesus said that whoever believes in Him has the Light of Life. For your life to shine, you must first acknowledge who you are. Light always brings glory.
Arise and Possess Your Inheritance
In Genesis 13:14, after Lot separated from Abraham, God told Abraham to lift up his eyes and look northward, southward, eastward, and westward.
Sometimes there are “Lots” in our lives—people, distractions, fears, or limitations—that prevent us from looking upward and seeing God’s bigger picture.
God then instructed Abraham:
«”Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.”»
God was calling Abraham to walk like someone who already possessed the promise.
Likewise, we must come to the place where we understand that God has made us vessels through whom His light will be expressed. We should no longer live with a beggarly mentality. We have an inheritance in Christ, and we must live like those who have received it.
Faith That Gives Expression to the Light
Bishop Benson Idahosa once preached that every believer carrying Jesus could be used by God to heal the sick and raise the dead.
After the meeting, his host asked, “Does that include me?”
Bishop Idahosa answered, “Yes.”
The man believed the Word. He went throughout his community looking for the sick and even the dead because he believed Jesus could work through him. Remembering how Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter, he imagined Christ performing the same miracle through his own hands. By faith, many miracles followed.
This is how the life and light within us find expression. We are ambassadors of Christ, appointed to carry out His will. We are the salt of the earth.
Awake and Arise
Ephesians 5:14 says:
«”Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”»
To awake means becoming aware, conscious, and recognizing areas of compromise, sin, or spiritual slothfulness.
To arise from the dead means leaving those conditions behind.
Believing and knowing are closely related, but they are not exactly the same. Knowing goes further. If you know something yet refuse to act on it, you are no different from someone who does not know. It is what you do with what you know that makes the difference.
Many blame their passivity on fear or unresolved issues from the past.
Today, I prophesy:
May every contention and controversy surrounding your destiny cease now, in Jesus’ Name.
Develop Capacity
What has God been showing you about yourself?
How has that revelation affected your faith?
God told Abraham to arise, walk through the land, and possess it. Many believers confess that Jesus can do anything, yet when told that God has given them an inheritance, they struggle to believe He could be that good to them.
Ironically, many unbelievers walk into car dealerships, inspect expensive vehicles, and dream boldly without having money in their bank accounts. They call it manifesting.
Yet many believers hesitate to dream because they have not developed spiritual capacity.
What an error!
When we minister to the world, we operate in the anointing of Jesus. It is not about how long we have been in church but about our obedience to His command:
«”Go… and be witnesses unto Me.”»
Without capacity, God’s promises often remain unrealized in our experience.
God instructed Abraham to look north, south, east, and west to enlarge his vision. He brought him out of his small tent, his limited background, and his comfort zone. He asked him to count the stars because He wanted Abraham to see what God already saw—a multitude.
Sometimes I intentionally visit places that stretch my faith and enlarge my vision. They help develop capacity.
The angel did something similar for Mary. After telling her about Jesus, he pointed her to Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy. Mary immediately went to see Elizabeth, and what she witnessed strengthened her faith.
Child of God, when God says, “You can,” “You have,” “I am with you,” or “I will heal you,” develop the capacity to receive His vision. Delete every mindset of smallness.
God says greatness is in you, even if your beginning appears small.
Do Not Limit God
Isaiah 43:3-4 reminds us that we are precious and honourable in God’s sight.
Psalm 78:41 says that Israel turned back and limited the Holy One of Israel.
How do people limit God?
By believing their problems are greater than His power.
God wants us to approach Him knowing that He is Almighty and that nothing is impossible with Him. There is no limitation in God. When God sees that attitude, He calls it faith.
Many people think they are sparing God by not bringing certain matters before Him because they believe the problems are their own fault.
But He is the God of mercy.
Do not limit God.
Our imagination of God must change. As we begin to see Him correctly, we will begin to experience and manifest everything He has promised.
Casting Down Wrong Imaginations
2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.
Reject every lie Satan brings about God, about yourself, and about your future.
Be like Abraham. He refused to consider the deadness of his own body. Instead, he counted the stars until he became fully persuaded that God would fulfil His promise.
God said, “Arise.”
Abraham arose.
Then he manifested.
There Is Always Something in Your House
In 2 Kings 4:1-7, the widow told Elisha:
«”I have nothing, save a pot of oil.”»
Learn to appreciate what God has already placed in your hands.
To the widow, the pot of oil seemed insignificant. To God, it was enough.
There is nobody who has nothing.
As long as you are alive, you have something.
The prophet did not negotiate with her feelings. He simply gave her instructions:
«”Go, borrow thee vessels abroad… borrow not a few.”»
Then he told her to shut the door and keep pouring.
As each vessel became full, she was to set it aside and continue pouring.
Many people stop after their first breakthrough because they become prematurely satisfied. That is a capacity problem.
God is calling us to think bigger, believe bigger, and receive bigger.
God Can Do More
Ephesians 3:20 declares:
«”Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think…”»
Never believe that all God intends to do is what you are presently seeing.
He has more to do for you and through you.
Remove every limit.
Give Him room.
Develop the capacity for greater manifestations of His power.
Prayer
– Father, thank You for Your Word that has brought light, revelation, correction, and divine adjustment into my life.
– Thank You for revealing who I am in Christ.
– Lord, I receive grace to act upon who You say I am.
– I receive grace to manifest Your life and to obey every instruction You give me.
– I declare that I will arise and shine because my light has come.
– I will live as a confirmation of who You say I am and what You say I possess.
– I refuse to limit You, Lord.
– I repent of every act of limitation caused by fear, unbelief, small thinking, or lack of spiritual capacity.
– Father, enlarge my capacity through prayer, revelation, and obedience.
– Let my life become a visible expression of Your light and glory, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
– Pastor Joshua Edohoema