Arise! Shine!

We've set our clocks forward and now bask in brighter, longer days, and miss longer nights. 

But as I look around my world, my small area of influence, I see so much darkness, and only small streams of light. Rebellion, selfishness, lewd wickedness and disrespect for others have caused a stench that pollutes the air and darkens the clouds. Profane language that once sent people into shock is now almost as common as a hello or a goodbye.

The Bible speaks of a time when "gross darkness" would cover the earth (Isaiah 60:2). Looks as though that time is now. 

But of course, our all-knowing, awesome Lord provided the solution in advance to our immoral times. The answer is found in you. Yes you, in me, in us!

Let's go to verse one of Isaiah chapter 60.  “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.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭60:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

How can His glory be seen upon you?

For starters, it begins with being rooted and grounded in love for God, and then for others (Matthew 22:37). The glory of the Lord is seen upon you and causes you to shine as you speak The Lord's truth, walk in forgiveness, love your enemy, as you are faithful to your husband or wife, and as you are careful to build people, not tare them down. His glory is seen upon you as you care for the poor, not focusing on self, but being about Father God's business daily. All of these actions shine light, dispelling darkness, and reflect the Lord's glory to the world.

It's easy to focus upon the darkness and complain. But that won't help save souls and draw folks to the light. Instead, let's repent and follow our marching orders. "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.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭60:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬!

Arise & shine!

GREAT EXPECTATIONS by Loisa Guzman

I have a friend who always says, "have no expectations and you won't get hurt".

We do need to have expectations. They just need to be healthy and realistic. After all, how can I say that on my birthday I don't expect happy birthday wishes? How can I deny that when I'm going through something difficult and my friends know it, that I expect them to offer support. When my son was little, I expected him to follow the rules in our home. Of course I expect my friends to be as kind and loving as I am to them. Certainly, I expect my coworkers to be considerate and respectful. What woman can say they don't expect to be given a seat on the bus when they walk in with several packages in hand, and who doesn't expect that people will step aside on a narrow sidewalk to let you pass? 

The problem is that no one is a mind reader and they also interpret things differently. For instance, I may desire a phone call to inquire how I'm feeling after a week of the flu, but my friends might think that because I'm not feeling well I want to be left alone. I might assume the person walking towards me on the street will move over to let me pass, but he may be thinking the same of me, and therefore, not move.

When you love someone you naturally place expectations on them. Those you love are especially the ones you expect will never disappoint you, yet they are often the ones who fail you.

In my lifetime, many people I have loved have let me down: my husband betrayed me; some friends were dishonest and spread lies about me; other friends mistreated me; my father abandoned me. But those are humans, and "God is not human, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and then not fulfill?" [Numbers 23:19]. In God, I can place my full trust, "for the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does" [Psalm 33:4].

Isn't it wonderful that we don't have to play games with God! His expectations of us are made clear through His word. Galatians 5:22 instructs us to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Our expectations of God are also clear to Him. God is the all-knowing, omniscient God who knows our every anxious thought [Psalm 139:23] and is aware of our expectations before they even enter our mind.

Psalm 5:3 says, "in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly" - and believe me, He delivers! Whenever I have expected God to come through, He has. It may not always be in the way I imagine or plan it, because I, as a human, plan my course, but it is God who establishes my steps [Proverbs 16:9], but I know that I can always remain confident that I will see the goodness of the Lord [Psalm 27:13]. Placing hope and expectation in the Lord never disappoints - it is "an anchor for my soul,  firm and secure" [Hebrews 6:19]. 

In a world filled with so much disappointment, the answer is simple: "let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful" [Hebrews 10:23]. Know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gives you will ever fail[Joshua 23:14]. "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ" [2 Corinthians 1:20]. In Christ you can feel free to have great expectations. 

GOD IS LOVE, I AM NOT by Christina Calvache

God is love, He loved the world so much He sent his only Son, His love is unconditional… Early on in my walk with the Lord, I knew He loved me. Not only did I read about it throughout the Bible, I learned of His love at church, listening to Christian radio, and through endless inspirational books and devotionals. As I began worshipping him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), I quickly realized the truth. I DIDN’T LOVE HIM! (Mind you, this was a VERY long time ago). My heart became heavy and I felt like such a hypocrite. Here I was in church, singing about loving the Lord, yet I knew I did not. Every time I said, “I love you Lord,” I was just saying it.

Honestly, this was such a great time in my life. Knowing I was supposed to love God, but didn’t. only drew me closer to Him. I became real with the God who knew me better than I know myself (psalm 139:16).

I arrived at a turning point in learning how to love God when I said, “Lord I want to love you, but I don’t, I want to know you, but I don’t”. I had a revelation about the difference between knowing about God and having a relationship with God. I began to experiment and started to acknowledge His presence wherever I went. Prayer was no longer reserved for a certain time of the day, but became a continual interaction with the Great I Am. I walked and talked to Him saying things like, “I know You died for me back then, but I need reasons to love You now”. Naturally when you spend much time with someone, you begin to have a real relationship with them as well as feelings for them.

A church friend I confided in advised me to search the Word of God and study the character of God to know Him better, because, He doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6). If I knew His character, it would be easier for me to recognize Him in my world. If I learned the way He interacted with people, then maybe I would start seeing more of His interactions with me. Take a look at his character, see how these names of God apply in your life. How can you not love Him?

Sadly, people love conditionally. Recognizing that God gives me peace, comfort, protection, guidance, defense, wisdom and so much more, are enough conditions for me. I still see how God interacts with my every day and it makes me love Him more and more.

In Mark 12:30, Jesus reminds us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.” We were not created to love the Lord conditionally, we were created to love him totally and for our own benefit. Maybe you’re carefree as I was when I was younger. Maybe you’ve had it rough. But if you’re having a hard time truly loving the Lord, I urge you to go and meet him halfway. "We love Him because He first loved us." (1John 4:19)