“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, AMPC)
It is God’s desire that His children are victors and not victims of circumstances, hence the clarion call to arise from a depression and prostration mode to a new and higher life. Below are some truths to help us RISE viz:
Rise to a new life: Our opening scripture above is a commandment to arise and not a suggestion. Jesus, in His ministry while on earth was always issuing commands to unlikely and helpless people to do the seemingly impossible. He issued commands such as, “Talitha cumi (little girl I say to you arise), “Rise, take up your bed and walk”, “Go show yourselves to the priests”, “Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.” It is quite amazing that Jesus was issuing commands to the sick, lame, blind, dead, etc. Off course, we know His words were backed up with power to accomplish but the recipients of the miracles still had to obey the instructions. God is asking us to arise from unpleasantness and limitations because we have been empowered to do so.
Imagine yourself rising: Imagination is seeing with the mind what the physical eyes do not see. It is a Biblical and scriptural concept. God speaks to His children in images and similitudes. Positive imagination is gaining control of one’s mind and thought processes and channeling same for productive and fruitful causes. Imagination rightly done is positive meditation. The technology of old cameras was such that an image is captured through the shutter of the camera, stored up as negatives which is processed and printed as a photograph. Our minds store up information, and what is stored as negatives in the inner recesses of the mind will eventually play out in real life. The Bible enjoins us to see ourselves as dead to sin but alive to Jesus (Romans 6:11). To rise to new levels, the pictures and images we entertain in our minds are critical.
Shine your light: Believers in Christ are lighthouses and light carriers. A lighthouse is a tower structure with a powerful light that serves as signal or guide to sailors and mariners. It is located in strategic places in the sea to usually warn sailors of dangerous rocks or shallows, and also help ocean vessels safely in and out of the harbor. The Christian in this dark world is a guide and a lighthouse to the world. We shine our light by manifesting the goodness of the Lord to a dark world in order to have them turn to the Almighty in genuine repentance. We do so by daily mortifying the deeds of the flesh, dying to the Adamic nature in order to manifest the nature of Christ. As we shine, we radiate the glory of the Lord which dispels and dominate darkness. We rise higher when we dominate over darkness.
Expect to rise: While imagination has to do with mentality, expectation has to do with action. The Bible tells us of how a lame man by the temple gate called Beautiful rose from his lameness. He looked at Peter and John (Apostles who were going to pray) eagerly expecting to receive money from them. Apostle Peter redirected his expectation to Jesus and His resurrection power. The guy was subsequently healed. The principle of expectation commits God to act. It is ok to pray but prayer without eager expectation is faith without corresponding action. Expectation delivers manifestation. The expectation of a righteous person in the Lord will not be disappointed. To rise to new levels, we must rise in expectation.
CONCLUSION: The power to rise from weakness to strength, obscurity to limelight, sickness to health, poverty to prosperity, purposelessness to purposeful living, darkness to light, and sin to righteousness is available to us. Begin to harness the power of the Word and the Holy Spirit in a greater dimension and see yourself rise to new levels.
Have a blessed new month!
