*The Lord Will Rise Upon You...* "For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you." (Isaiah 60:2) Our Lord is extraordinary. Therefore, we—who serve and worship Him—are also special. Even when darkness surrounds everything else, there will always be light around us. This is a tremendous grace that the Lord bestows upon His people. Darkness covers the earth, and deep gloom surrounds the people dwelling within it. When the Lord was about to afflict the Egyptians, He told Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt—darkness which may even be felt." Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and "there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings." (Exodus 10:23) This is the mercy God shows to His children. It is not limited to the people of Israel alone; God's mercy is revealed in the life of everyone who believes in and accepts Him. *No matter the state of the people around us or how dire the circumstances may be*, God will not forsake us. He will continually shine upon us. "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness." (John 12:46) Amen. 🔥