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I often like to reflect on my younger days. "Rise and shine!" Many years ago that's what my dad would say to me whenever I was reluctant to get up in the morning. Well, I understood that I was to "rise out of bed"... but I didn't know what the shine part could mean! Now, however, I think of "rise and shine" as getting up each day and doing SOMETHING for Jesus, the Light of the World (see John's Gospel chapter 8 verse 12).
Jesus is the eternal Son of God, who became human and lived among us. John chapter 1 verse 5 says "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out". Darkness means all the sin and evil in the world. 2 Samuel chapter 22 verse 29 (Old Testament) says "You, Lord, are my light; you dispel my darkness". St.Paul confirms this in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 6: "The God who said 'out of darkness the light shall shine' is the same God who made His light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ".
When we accept Jesus as our own Lord and Saviour we have eternal life waiting for us in heaven. But meanwhile we "shine" with His reflected glory when we do His will, being good to other people and telling them of His sacrificial love - that is, His death on the Cross for the forgiveness of sins, and His resurrection.
See also my pages "Into the Light" and "Lights in the Darkness".
