Scripture Focus

“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭60‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ NLT

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come… To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ NLT

Reflection
Isaiah 60–62 reads like one breathtaking prophecy. It begins with the command: “Arise, shine, for your light has come!” — a call to stand in the glory of God as He breaks through the darkness. For Israel, this offered hope of restoration after exile. But Isaiah’s words stretch far beyond that moment. They look ahead to the coming of Jesus, the true Light who John 1 says “shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
But even this isn’t the end of the vision. Isaiah’s prophecy reaches all the way to Revelation — to the New Jerusalem, where “the Lord will be your everlasting light… your days of mourning will come to an end.” (Isaiah 60:19–20). This is not just Israel’s hope. It is our hope: Jesus the Redeemer will make all things new.
Isaiah paints a picture of what this hope looks like:

• Beauty for ashes — every loss redeemed (Isaiah 61:3).

• A robe of righteousness — our shame covered in salvation (Isaiah 61:10).

• A new name — no longer forsaken, but called “The Bride of God” (Isaiah 62:4).

• Everlasting light — no more need for sun or moon, because God Himself will shine over His people (Isaiah 60:19).

At the center of it all is Jesus — the Light, the Bridegroom, the Redeemer. John 1 makes the connection clear: “The Word became flesh and made his home among us… In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”


Walking This Out Today
Isaiah’s vision isn’t just a far-off dream. It’s an invitation to live in God’s light right now — even when everything around us feels dark.
When Isaiah said, “Arise, shine, for your light has come,” he wasn’t talking to people who had it all together. He spoke to people who had been broken, exiled, and emptied — people who felt forgotten. But God said: “My glory rises over you.”

This changes everything.

• When my son is distant and my heart aches, the Lord reminds me He is the Redeemer — working even in what I can’t see.
• When my daughter is in prison and I’m raising her children, He promises beauty for ashes — my labor is not in vain; He will bring life where there’s been loss.
• When my other daughter grieves the death of her babies, He promises a crown of joy in place of mourning — He weeps with us and one day will wipe away every tear.
• When my finances are upside down and my bills don’t match my income, He reminds me that He is my everlasting light — my security is not in what I have but in who He is.
• When I look at my children who seem lost or wandering, He reminds me: “At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.”

These promises don’t erase the pain — but they plant our feet on solid ground.
They give us a vision of a God who is actively restoring, redeeming, and reigning, even when it feels like everything is falling apart.

This is how we rise above our sorrows:

• We call to mind who He is — Savior, Redeemer, Bridegroom, Light.
• We stand on His promises — He will give beauty for ashes, He will not forsake us, and His glory will rise over our darkness.
• We look forward with hope — He did it for Israel, He will do it for us.

This is the truth that sets us free: God is not done with our story.


A Word for the Woman Who Feels Too Weak
If you’re reading this and feel like you can’t hold on, here’s the truth: You don’t have to hold on with your own strength. He is holding on to you. The same God who brought His people back from exile, who sent His Son to be the Light in our darkness, who promises to make all things new — that same God is here with you right now.
Whisper His promises. Cry out in your grief. Sit in His presence. And know this: Your mourning will not last forever. Your story is not over. The Lord Himself is your Light.
Digging Deeper: Layers of Fulfillment in Isaiah 60–62

• Post-Exile Restoration: Some of these promises began to unfold when Israel returned from Babylonian captivity (around 538 B.C.).
• Messiah’s First Coming: Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1–2 in Luke 4, declaring that He had come to fulfill this prophecy — bringing good news, healing, and freedom.
• Ultimate Fulfillment: These chapters look all the way forward to Revelation 21–22 — the New Jerusalem, where God Himself is our light, mourning ends forever, and His people are clothed in glory.

This prophecy is a then, now, and not-yet promise — one that gives us hope for today and confidence for tomorrow.


Application Questions

1. Where do I need to “arise and shine” — to step out of fear or sorrow and stand in the light of God’s promises?
2. Which of these promises (beauty for ashes, a new name, a robe of righteousness) do I need to take hold of today?
3. How does knowing the end of the story — that Jesus will return and make all things new — change how I live right now?

Prayer 🙏
Lord Jesus, Light of the world, thank You for shining into my darkness. Thank You for clothing me in righteousness, for giving me beauty for ashes, and for calling me by a new name. Help me to live with hope — not anchored in what I see, but in Your unshakable promises. Make me shine with Your light so that others may see You in me. Come, Lord Jesus. Fulfill every promise. Amen.



Now sit quietly before the Lord. Let His light shine into the areas where you feel darkness. Ask Him to speak to you about what it means to be His Bride, clothed in righteousness, waiting with hope. Write down what He tells you.