January 5, 2026 

Isaiah 60:1–3 calls God’s people to rise and shine, not because darkness is absent, but because God’s light has come. The passage reminds us that God’s glory breaks into dark places, drawing people toward hope, renewal, and life even when shadows still linger.

Devotional:
Darkness is not something Scripture ignores or minimizes. Isaiah speaks honestly about it. He names it plainly, acknowledging that darkness can cover the earth and settle heavily over people. Yet this passage does not linger there. Instead, it pivots toward a bold declaration. God’s light rises in the very place darkness feels strongest.

This is important, especially during seasons when we are tempted to believe that light only comes after everything improves. Isaiah does not wait for conditions to change before calling the people to rise. He announces that God’s glory has already appeared. The light does not wait for darkness to clear. It enters it.

Epiphany carries that same truth forward. God’s light shows up where we least expect it, not just in moments of celebration but in places weighed down by uncertainty, weariness, and fear. The light of God is not fragile. It is steady. It does not flicker at the first sign of trouble.

Still, light must be noticed. Isaiah’s call to “arise” assumes a response. God’s people are invited to lift their eyes, to stop staring at the darkness long enough to see what God is doing. This can be difficult. Darkness has a way of demanding our full attention. It convinces us that it is all there is.

Yet Isaiah insists that something greater is already present. God’s glory rises not as a distant idea, but as an active reality. It draws people in. Nations move toward it. Hope begins to gather around it. Light creates movement, not because it forces change, but because it invites it.

For us, watching for the light often means resisting the urge to retreat. It means staying open to what God may be revealing even when circumstances remain unresolved. God’s light may come through Scripture, through another person, through an unexpected moment of clarity, or through quiet assurance that refuses to leave.

We are not called to manufacture light. We are called to recognize it. When we do, we find ourselves drawn into God’s work of renewal, not because darkness has disappeared, but because light has arrived.

Action:
Pay attention today to where light shows up unexpectedly. Notice moments of hope, clarity, or peace that interrupt heaviness. Give thanks for them, and let them remind you that God is already at work.

Prayer:
God of light, we confess that we often focus more on darkness than on Your presence. Open our eyes to see where Your glory is rising in our lives and in our world. Help us respond with trust and courage when You call us to rise. Thank You for meeting us where we are and drawing us toward hope. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Thought for the Day:
God’s light rises even when darkness remains.

Isaiah reminds us that darkness does not have the final word. God’s light rises right in the middle of it, drawing people toward hope and renewal. Epiphany invites us to lift our eyes and watch for the light that is already present, even when shadows linger.
You may not be able to change the darkness today, but you can notice where God’s glory is breaking through.