By Christine Greyling
Overwhelmed by Darkness in the World
After feeling very overwhelmed and discouraged by the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, I have been taking time during my quiet moments to seek God. The persecution and violence toward Christians and believers seem to be intensifying and growing stronger every day. I am sure many feel the heaviness and weight of living in a world that increasingly rejoices in and praises evil.
It has also been said that there is a rise in the acceptance of “assassination culture,” where more and more people believe it’s fine to violently remove someone you disagree with—whether political, religious, or social. With the landscape looking so grim, it’s easy to want to shrink back.
Encouragement from Isaiah 60:1–2
But in my quiet time I was encouraged—and even more so challenged—by Isaiah 60:1–2, for all of us as believers in the Body of Christ to arise and let the light speak louder.
“Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you, And His glory will appear upon you.” – Isaiah 60:1–2
What It Means to Arise
The word arise in Hebrew is קוּם (qum) and its core meaning is to stand, to establish, to endure, to fulfil. It stood out to me that God doesn’t want us to shrink back at this time, but to stand, to get up, endure, and fulfil what He is calling us to do.
The word is a verb—it’s active—and I strongly believe God is challenging us not to be passive during this time. There has been a lot of passivity among Christians, but now is the time we need to seek God and move forward with purpose.
I don’t mean that we need to arise and engage in retaliation, revenge, or violence. The Bible clearly says we must not repay evil with evil (Romans 12:17–21). We don’t fight flesh and blood; we stand and fight in the spiritual realm. Believers need to be empowered to fight in the spiritual realm through warfare prayer.
What It Means to Shine
The next word after arise is shine. It doesn’t tell us to just get up—it tells us what we are meant to do when we get up. This word comes from אוֹר (’ôr). The core meanings are illuminate, brightness, and enlighten (to bring revelation).
Jesus tells us we are meant to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13–16) and says that a light should not be hidden. I am afraid there are many hidden believers all over the place, but more than ever, God is calling us to stand up and shine His light that dwells in us—through us.
The scripture says the glory of the Lord has risen upon us. I believe God is going to shine and rise on us to bring revival to many stuck in darkness and captivity.
Understanding the Darkness Around Us
As we get into verse 2 of Isaiah 60, we see a description of what the world looks like: darkness.
·חֹשֶׁךְ (choshek):: ordinary darkness, night, gloom, or the state of not seeing.
·עֲרָפֶל (ʿaraphel: storm-like, impenetrable darkness that presses in over peoples and nations.
I think we can agree that the kind of evil we are seeing is reaching new depths of darkness, to the point where it feels oppressive. There is only one solution to such darkness and oppression, and that is the light of our Lord Jesus Christ—His Kingship and rulership.
A Call to Fulfil the Great Commission
As individuals and as Christ’s Body, I believe God is calling us to stand up, endure, and fulfil the Great Commission of Christ. Maybe you are not sure how to do this or where to start.
It begins with being a vessel for God’s light. There is a deep call to go deeper in our relationships with God. As we draw close to Him, His light can penetrate us, and as a result, we can arise and shine the truth of God.
Set Apart for God’s Glory
To close off this challenge, I would like to include 2 Timothy 2:20–24, because part of arising and shining is setting ourselves apart in holiness for God’s use and glory.
“Now in a large house there are not only vessels and objects of gold and silver, but also vessels and objects of wood and earthenware, and some are for honorable use and some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work…” – 2 Timothy 2:20–24
This scripture indicates that we need to cleanse ourselves from sin and disobedience so we can be used as a vessel for honor to glorify God.
Have you recently felt moved to seek God and go deeper in your relationship with Him? Then it’s also time to put away hindrances that may be holding you back and bringing compromise into your life.
In the words of Charlie Kirk, salt and light change the environments that they are in. You are placed in a specific environment to be the change that is needed in that place—for the glory of God.
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