Rise And Shine

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. Isaiah 60:1-2 ESV

Good Morning Girlfriends:

Just the other day I was asked questions about my past and where I had come from, to how I became who I am today. I could tell this person was deeply concerned about something, so I shared bits and pieces of my story, kind of like "Before the Cross and After the Cross." My story opened up when I was dating my "first husband to be," how we dated for a year and a half, and in that time I had broke up with him several times and them we would get back together, shortly after, he had asked me to marry him and being seventeen "what did I really know," saying yes I had to get my parents permission. The next month after graduation we were married.

Being married three and a half years, our marriage ended with two little children added to the mix. I had explained how the enemy had came in, I was out at the bar with a friend, not looking for trouble, but as they say, "trouble always finds you." As I looked back at this marriage, I was more infatuated with the idea of being married and out on my own, than being married for the right reason. You see, I didn't have a great home life with a father who was a not so nice person when he drank all weekend, so this was a way for me to get out.

This led me to meeting another man at the bar, we lived together for two years, then married. I shared how this marriage lasted five years which was full of physical mental and emotional abuse, and with another child and two others to think about it led me to make the decision to leave, for a healthier life for us as a family. As I continued to share my story, I was open to tell the truth, as I continued to say that I was friends with a friend that was my ex-husbands and we became close and decided to be together, living together for two years then marrying.

This is where my story changed from this way of living, as I shared I had always been looking for love, looking and wanting to be loved, looking for faithfulness, realizing that it all stemmed back to my childhood of not having it there with my earthly father. God had started working on me a couple of years before, where He had taken my desire to smoke away from me, He took the desire to drink and party away from me, and at this point in my life, I had shared that I could not see my life changing in this marriage, and that is when I gave my life back to Jesus. Now this is where my life totally took a shift, as I continued to share my story.

When I gave my life over to the Lord girlfriends, I was truly repentant and I knew I wanted a change in my life, I wanted better and I wanted more. Over the years as I became closer to the Lord, my life soared with such an amazing change, my mother had said to me one day that it was like I was shot out of a cannon and away I went. I can honestly say, I have never looked back and I have never regretted making the decision to live for Jesus. I was asked by this individual, If I regretted the decisions that I had made in my past, not quite sure what full intent of the question was, but this is how I responded. Each and every person has a past, they have done things that they are not proud of, but I am forgiven for every wrong thing, wrong decision I had made because of the blood of Jesus.

Where I am today, and how I live today, is nothing like how I used to live, because of my relationship with the Lord. I had also added to my testimony, that I take God's word very seriously, and my standards are not dropping from what the word of God says, I will never be like that woman I once was because of my relationship with Jesus. He has totally transformed me to who I am today and I am very proud to say that I am a "Proverb 31 woman." I am thankful for the work of the cross that has changed my life forever and now I share the love of Jesus and what He and only He can do for others. I also used this quote, "I once was one way and now I am another way, and what happened in between, was HIM!" (meaning Jesus)

Girlfriends, you too might have been one way and now you are another way, so God wants us to "RISE and SHINE," to be the women He has created us to be, stand tall and shine because of the transformation that took place from within us. To the beautiful girlfriends out there who has never made that decision to turn your life over to Jesus, today is your day, there is no greater day than today to make that decision to follow Jesus. When you do, Jesus will transform you into the most beautiful butterfly that has ever been seen.

Matthew 5:16 tells us, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. (Ephes. 5:8) When we give our heart to the Lord, and we live for Him as we share our testimony to others, people will be able to see the transformation of what knowing Jesus and living for Him can do. This transformation is not just for me, but it is for all of you as well, you just have to make the decision to want that change.

There is certainly not a better way to live, a better way to walk than with our Lord Jesus Christ each and every day, He is the difference in my life and it can be for you too. Will you say yes today, so you can "Rise and Shine" for Jesus that others will see His light, Amen?

Let's Pray,

Father God, I thank you and I praise you for that glorious day that I said "Yes" to you. I thank you for the amazing resurrection change that took place in my life. Lord I lift up each and every sweet person who is saying "Yes" to you today, that they will be filled with Your glorious light, they will be miraculously changed from darkness to light and that they will shine for You like never before. Lord, use them to draw more and more precious souls to the cross, the feet of Jesus as they let their light shine and burn for You in the Mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

Be blessed my sweet girlfriends. Pass the blessings on. Thank you for passing this message on in hopes that it will be a blessing to others as well.