Souls Harbour Rescue Mission

Isaiah 60:1-4

The Glory of Zion

¹ “Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
² See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the LORD rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
³ Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

⁴ “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
All assemble and come to you;
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters are carried on the hip.

For over 60 years, Isaiah was called to be a prophet and a servant of God to Israel and Judah. (740-681 BC) In the book of Isaiah, we see that the prophet called the nation of Israel to repentance and to renew their faith with the one and only true God. Because they disobeyed the word of the Lord and continued living in disobedience, we read in Isaiah that in 721 BC, Israel was taken into Assyrian captivity.

“Arise, shine! For your light has come…”It is the cry of the ancient prophet Isaiah, to a distraught and down trodden people who had lost their sense of purpose.  They were exiled, strangers in a strange land, with strange customs, distant from families and friends and familiar practices and customs. Darkness had come over them. They felt that all hope was gone and that their God had abandoned them. Their hope for a better day had been snuffed out. Isaiah’s message to them was to encourage the hearts of God’s people with a message of forgiveness, comfort and hope.

Are you going through a dark valley and you feel that there is no hope? Do you feel alienated from family and friends? Have all your hopes and dreams been smashed against the rocks of life? Do you feel that it would have been better if you were never born? Then you can relate to what the Israelites were feeling. Do you feel so far away from God because of your disobedience? Are you feeling helpless and abandoned? I want you to know that what the Father had revealed to the children of Israel is also for you today. He wants you to know that He has not abandoned you but is calling you to have hope. He will not leave you nor forsake you. Will you call on His name? Will you turn to Him?

No matter how dark and hopeless your situation might seem, God wants to give you the hope and faith to carry on. But in their greatest darkness – Isaiah’s prophecy revealed that the one and only true God had also joined them in their exile. They were not alone, the Lord their God was with them in their captivity.

Maybe you have never known Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Are you living in darkness and under the bondage of sin? Are you a slave to sin and shame? If you feel that there is no hope for you, that no one can free you from your drugs, alcohol, sexual sins, pornography, witchcraft, sorcery, the memories of being abused or just feeling unloved? There is a message for you. There is hope in Christ Jesus. Will you place your faith and hope in the Saviour today? He can free you from all your sins and shame.

Hear the word of the Lord spoken through the prophet, Isaiah;

“Arise, shine! For your light has come!”