Rise Up: Carriers of His Glory

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1)

There’s a divine call echoing through Scripture and resounding in our spirits: Rise up. Rise up from apathy. Rise up from fear. Rise up from the shadows of yesterday’s failures and step into the radiant light of God’s glory.

When Isaiah declared those words, God’s people were living in darkness—surrounded by difficulty, despair, and exile. Yet the promise still stood: the glory of God would rise upon them. That same promise stands for us today. The moment we choose to arise in faith, God’s glory rises with us. His presence and His character begin to shine through us into the darkness around us.

The glory of God isn’t a distant cloud or a mystical feeling—it’s the revelation of who God is. It’s His nearness, His holiness, His beauty, His power, and His love—made visible in our lives through the Holy Spirit.

And here’s the miracle: we are the carriers of His glory.

The Light Within Fragile Jars

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:7,

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.”

God has chosen to place His Spirit—His very presence—inside weak, imperfect people like us. We are jars of clay, yes, but we carry the most precious treasure in existence: the light of Christ.

It’s humbling, isn’t it? God doesn’t wait for perfection. He chooses ordinary people to display His extraordinary glory. Our weakness becomes the stage where His strength is seen. Our cracks become the places where His light shines through.

That means every moment, every environment, and every conversation becomes an opportunity to carry His glory.
At home.
At work.
In the supermarket.
In the storm.
In the victory.

You and I are walking vessels of the presence of God.

1. When We Carry God’s Glory, We Walk in Boldness

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:12,

“Since we have such a hope, we are very bold.”

When the glory of God fills your life, timidity loses its grip.
Fear has no authority in the presence of divine confidence.

Proverbs 28:1 declares,

“The righteous are as bold as a lion.”

This doesn’t mean arrogance—it means confidence in who is within you. You carry the King of glory! A.W. Tozer once said, “A scared world needs a fearless Church.” The world doesn’t need a silent or shrinking church—it needs one that rises up in boldness, shining brightly in a dark age.

We walk in boldness not through our own strength but through His. His glory gives us the courage to stand firm, to speak truth, to love deeply, and to live unashamed.

2. When We Carry God’s Glory, We Carry Freedom

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)

God’s glory doesn’t just shine on us—it transforms us from the inside out.
When the Holy Spirit fills you, you are no longer bound by fear, anxiety, or shame. Freedom is not just something you experience once—it’s a lifestyle you walk in daily.

Too many believers live under heaviness when God has called them to live in liberty. The glory of God always brings freedom. It breaks the chains of addiction, lifts the weight of guilt, and heals the scars of the past.

Everywhere Jesus went, freedom followed.
The blind saw.
The lepers were cleansed.
The dead were raised.
And now that same Spirit—the Spirit of freedom—lives in us.

You may feel broken, but you’re not beyond hope. You may feel stuck, but you’re not forgotten. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is living in you. Walk in that freedom. Carry that glory.

3. When We Carry God’s Glory, We Never Give Up

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:1,

“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.”

To carry God’s glory is to persevere when others would give up. It’s to keep standing when everything around you says “sit down.” The presence of God gives you resilience.

Think of the heroes of faith:

• Job lost everything—but he never gave up.
• Moses faced rejection—but he never gave up.
• Noah endured ridicule—but he never gave up.
• Hannah prayed through barrenness—but she never gave up.
• Paul was beaten and shipwrecked—but he never gave up.
• Mary bore shame and heartbreak—but she never gave up.

They all carried the glory of God, and that glory gave them the strength to endure.

Missionary Hudson Taylor once said,

“There are three stages in the work of God: impossible, difficult, done.”

You might be standing in the “impossible” stage right now—but God is still working. His best work often happens behind the scenes. Don’t give up—God always has another move to make.

4. When We Carry God’s Glory, We Preach Jesus

Paul makes it clear in 2 Corinthians 4:5:

“We preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord.”

When you carry God’s glory, you cannot help but make Jesus known. Everything we do, everything we say, and everything we are should point to Him. His glory isn’t about us—it’s all about Jesus.

John Stott said,

“Christian preaching is not about moral advice, but about Jesus Christ—crucified, risen, and reigning.”

The message of the gospel isn’t self-improvement—it’s transformation through Christ. The world doesn’t need more clever slogans or positive thinking. It needs the power of the cross.

When the glory of God fills your life, your testimony becomes a living sermon. Your presence brings His presence. Your words bring His hope. Your life points to His love.

Rise Up

So today, hear the call again:
“Arise, shine, for your light has come.”

It’s time to rise up—out of fear, out of apathy, out of defeat—and live as carriers of His glory. The world around us is desperate for light, and God has chosen you to shine it.

You may feel fragile, but the treasure within you is unbreakable.
You may feel unworthy, but His Spirit has made you holy.
You may feel small, but His glory in you is limitless.

The same God who said, “Let there be light,” has shone His light into your heart. Now, rise up—and take His glory everywhere you go.

Reflection & Application

1. Where in your life do you need to “arise” and let God’s glory shine through you?
2. What fears or insecurities have been holding you back from walking in boldness?
3. Are there areas of your life where you need to experience the Spirit’s freedom today?
4. How can you persevere in faith, knowing that God is still working behind the scenes?
5. Who can you share Jesus with this week as a carrier of His glory?