One of the scenes I enjoy in the movie "The Great Race" (of which there are many) is when Max urged Professor Fate to rise from his backseat bed: "Time to get up. C'mon Professor, rise and shine!" The grumpy and likely hungover Professor shouted, "Rise and shine?" "It's 7:30," Max calmly replied. "Then you rise and you shine!" bellowed the villain professor to his sidekick. Though some of us are reluctant to leave the warmth of our beds on a cold morning, God created the sun to faithfully rise and shine. The sun supplies light and heat according to God's design.
The sun shining is a declaration of God's glory as is written in Psalm 19:4-6: "Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat." In shining bright the sun is fulfilling its purpose, doing exactly as God created it to do. It supplies heat for our planet, rays which nourish plants to grow and governs the day with light. This call to rising and shining then is to embrace God's purpose and design with our lives to glorify Him.
When the moon is visible in the heavens at night and the manner of shining is different: instead of being the source of light itself it reflects the glory of the sun upon the surface of our planet. In a similar way man was created in the image of God and the glorious reflection of His qualities have been dimmed by our fallen, fleshly nature. It is when we are born again the Light of the World Jesus Christ shines from us as the sun. We can only "rise and shine" because we have been raised to new life through faith in Jesus Christ and it is His work. The power to shine in the darkness is His alone and God desires our cooperation and willingness to this end.
Today in this sense is always our "time to shine," not of a desire for fame or fruitfulness but because God is glorious. On our own we are barren, stark, and cold as the moon, yet after being born again we are filled with the supernatural fire of the Holy Spirit in power. I am convinced the miraculous work God does inside one person is to be esteemed more greatly than the work He does through that person. One heart set aflame by the love and fear of God--unlike the sun or moon which will one day cease to shine--will live forever in glory with Jesus Christ. Our risen Saviour shines as the light of the world through those who trust Him and obey. God does not need us, but He loves and calls us. What He calls us to do He will empower us to do just like the sun that rises every day without fail.
The sun shining is a declaration of God's glory as is written in Psalm 19:4-6: "Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat." In shining bright the sun is fulfilling its purpose, doing exactly as God created it to do. It supplies heat for our planet, rays which nourish plants to grow and governs the day with light. This call to rising and shining then is to embrace God's purpose and design with our lives to glorify Him.
When the moon is visible in the heavens at night and the manner of shining is different: instead of being the source of light itself it reflects the glory of the sun upon the surface of our planet. In a similar way man was created in the image of God and the glorious reflection of His qualities have been dimmed by our fallen, fleshly nature. It is when we are born again the Light of the World Jesus Christ shines from us as the sun. We can only "rise and shine" because we have been raised to new life through faith in Jesus Christ and it is His work. The power to shine in the darkness is His alone and God desires our cooperation and willingness to this end.
Today in this sense is always our "time to shine," not of a desire for fame or fruitfulness but because God is glorious. On our own we are barren, stark, and cold as the moon, yet after being born again we are filled with the supernatural fire of the Holy Spirit in power. I am convinced the miraculous work God does inside one person is to be esteemed more greatly than the work He does through that person. One heart set aflame by the love and fear of God--unlike the sun or moon which will one day cease to shine--will live forever in glory with Jesus Christ. Our risen Saviour shines as the light of the world through those who trust Him and obey. God does not need us, but He loves and calls us. What He calls us to do He will empower us to do just like the sun that rises every day without fail.
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