Arise and shine, for your light has come!

It is clear that in these last days, the world is falling deeper and deeper into darkness. We can see it around us in the world, in the economy, in world affairs, and in the lives of the people around us. But Isaiah 60 tells us it is when “the darkness shall cover the earth” and “deep darkness the people,” that God’s people are called to “arise, shine!” and that His glory will be seen upon us.

So even though the world might get darker and darker, God’s Word assures us that the church will get brighter and brighter. And in these dark times, we as believers are called to rise up and to reach out to the world in love and grace.

“darkness shall cover the earth”—This darkness that the prophet Isaiah is referring to is not a physical darkness. It is a spiritual darkness that engenders depression and gloom, a feeling that has pervaded much of our world today. Many people are suffering from this darkness in the form of depression, pessimism, anxiousness, worries, cares, and just a feeling of being unmotivated and jaded.

Some of us might think this isn’t relevant to us because we’re not suffering from clinical depression or a mental health crisis, but all of us at one time or another in our lives experience a certain measure of feeling down and sad or depressed. Why? Because we still live in this fallen world, and are faced with the same challenges as everyone else. And also because as believers, we’re often targeted by the enemy who is out to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).

But God’s heart is for His beloved children to live the abundant life free from depression, worries, and anxieties. This is why it’s important we catch God’s heart for us in today’s sermon because therein lies keys for us to experience freedom from this spirit of depression! While medication can help to treat some of the symptoms we might experience, we need to be aware that the root of the problem is spiritual. And since it’s a spiritual issue, we need to solve it using God’s ways.

We need to be careful not to allow this depression to grow into what Isaiah describes in verse 2, a “gross darkness” that covers us. And the Bible warns us of its dangers:

Worldly sorrow can lead to death! So, don’t allow the sorrows, cares, and worries that we encounter in our daily lives to linger and take root in our hearts. Learn to let go of them and to cast these cares to the Lord.

Here, Pastor Prince also shares a practical word of advice for couples: Let not the sun go down upon your anger (Eph. 4:26–27) because it can lead to discord or even separation in your marriage. Choose always to show grace and forgiveness to your spouse!

Jesus has carried your sorrows

Going back to 2 Corinthians 7:10, we see that “godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation.” In the original Greek, repentance is metanoia, which refers to a change of mind. And salvation is soteria, which means “deliverance, preservation, safety,” salvation in every area of our lives.

So experiencing godly sorrow leads us to change our minds and align our thoughts with God’s, to believe right about God and what the Lord has done for us, and this is what brings about wholeness and a peace of mind.

So, what is it that we need to believe right about in the light of today’s topic?

We need to know and believe that through our Lord Jesus’ finished work at the cross, we have redemption from sorrow.

While the context of Isaiah 53:4 refers primarily to our Lord Jesus taking our sicknesses and pains at the cross, the words “sicknesses” and “pains” also include the meaning of “griefs” and “sorrows.” At the cross, not only did our Lord Jesus bear all our sicknesses and pains, He also bore our griefs and our sorrows. In fact, the Bible tells us that He became a Man of sorrows for us (Isa. 53:3) . . .

Beloved, do you know what this really means?

Our Lord Jesus is the most joyful person you can ever find—so much so that the Father describes Him as One who was anointed with the oil of gladness more than His companions.

The only time our Lord ever said He was sorrowful was in the in the garden of Gethsemane:

He became sorrowful because He was taking on the sorrows of the world . . . and that grieved Him so much, to the point of death—not that He contemplated taking His life, but that that was the degree of the sorrow He felt.

The Lord is the embodiment of joy, yet at the cross, He chose to empty Himself of His joy and take on all our griefs and sorrows so that today, we can have His joy. This exchange is possible only because of our Lord’s redeeming work at the cross, and today we have an ironclad claim on His spirit of gladness!

Beloved, the truth is that our Lord Jesus has already carried all of your sorrows and griefs at the cross. Even when you think no one knows, even when you feel all alone, He sees you and He fully understands what you are going through. And He isn’t just acquainted with your grief, He took the fullness of it so that you no longer have to carry them today. Instead, He wants you to receive His joy and walk in the abundant life He’s already paid for you to enjoy (John 10:10)!

How then, can we rise above our sorrows and experience freedom from depression?

We can do that by:
– Strengthening ourselves with the joy of the Lord, and
– Spending time in worship

The joy of the Lord is your strength

Our Lord Jesus is so full of joy (Heb. 1:9), and through the divine exchange at the cross, we too get to be partakers of this oil of gladness! When we keep ourselves in His joy, we become strengthened (Neh. 8:10), so we need to remind ourselves to rejoice in the Lord again and again.

If sorrow can produce disease, then joy can produce healing for “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine” (Prov. 17:22). There is safety when we continually rejoice in the Lord. Just like how a glass will be constantly filled with water when we keep on refilling it, to rejoice in the Lord is to be continually filled with the joy of the Lord.

And we can refill our joy when we immerse ourselves in the revelations and truths of what the Lord has done for us, when we take time to remember or recount His goodness toward us, and when we give thanks for all the blessings He has already bestowed upon us.

Win over discouragement when you spend time in worship

In the above account, when King Saul was tormented by a spirit of sadness and was melancholic and troubled, David took up his harp and worshiped. After listening to this anointed worship music, the king was refreshed and filled with gladness, and the spirit of sadness left him.

Practically, this shows us that the act of worshiping and anointed worship music have the power to drive away evil spirits of sadness and depression. So whenever you are feeling down and dejected, remember to listen to anointed worship songs or spend time just worshiping the Lord. Very soon, you will find yourself refreshed, lifted out of the doldrums, and when you look, you won’t find your enemy, that spirit of heaviness, any more!

Faith that purifies your heart

Beloved, if you are going through a challenge, take heart in knowing that you are not alone. The same kinds of afflictions have been and are being experienced by members in the family of believers all over the world. Keep on looking to the Lord and have faith!

The Lord is not a respecter of persons, but He is a respecter of faith. Faith pleases Him so much that He can bypass hundreds of people in a crowd to focus on the one who has faith in Him. Just take a look at the woman with the issue of blood who touched the hem of His garment (Mark 5:25–34). Despite the multitude thronging Him, with just one touch of her faith, the Lord stopped in His tracks to look for her and minister to her.

When you have faith, the Lord zooms in on you! Not only that, but faith is what purifies our hearts (Acts 15:9). Our hearts are not purified by our works, but by our believing in our Lord Jesus. And it is this faith that purifies our hearts to produce the fruits of holiness in our lives: victory, freedom, peace, love, and joy!

Our God loves faith, and where He finds faith, you will find Him working, healing the people. Just like how our Lord Jesus encouraged the man whose son was demon-possessed, “If you can believe all things are possible to him that believe,” and the man answered, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:23–24), bring even your lack of faith to the Lord. That in itself, is faith. And when there is faith, there will be miracles and blessings!