Do you think of yourself as a brave, bold and confident person? A lot of us don’t. We look and see others and perhaps wish we had the same courage to put ourselves out there. It’s sometimes easier to hide away behind others – let them shine; let them be out there and visible. We might be tempted to think that we don’t have what it takes to achieve something worthwhile in the bigger scheme of things. The nation of Israel had that sort of attitude – we are lost, we can’t do anything more, our day has been and gone. But to them and to you and me God speaks a message of hope and encouragement: Stand up! Shine! Your new day is dawning.
God has new things for us – things we may never have imagined. I know that as we get older and seem to have less energy and creativity, we are tempted to step back from the challenges and opportunities of life in the Kingdom. But this word today challenges us to look up and look out.
Pray to the Lord that he would shine the path ahead for you and for all of us together. How will the Lord do new things in you and through you?  We are the living presence of Jesus in the world. Expect that he has some shining to do in and through us in the world.