Rise Up

Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come to you. Shake yourself from the dust, arise; sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion! (Is 52:1-2)

Do themes ever appear twice in one week for you? Sunday, someone delivered a prophetic word about this scripture in Isaiah 52 and then, as I posted a book review, it occurred to me the same theme was present there.

Sometimes the key to our breakthrough is in our own hands. We just need to recognize and utilize it.

I love this: Awake! As in “Don’t be complacent with the struggle you’re in. YOU can do something about it. Don’t be a victim of it!" Don’t wait for someone else to rescue you when God Himself is asking you to awake and put on strength.

He directs Zion to put on strength. Our strength comes from Christ. We're to put on beautiful garments—the robe of righteousness, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, the robe of salvation. Walk in what you know. Walk with Christ. Follow Him.

And He says “Shake yourself from the dust, arise.” Rise up out of those circumstances, at least mentally. See the bigger picture. See what God is pointing toward.

And then, right after He says “arise” He says “sit.” Sit in a new place. Find a new, fresh place to “sit” with authority and a new perspective. Find rest. That old place was not a restful place.

Finally, He knows you’ve been a captive. But here’s what He says, “Loose yourself from the bonds on your neck.” You have the key to those chains. You have access to the freedom. Step into it. Agree with it. Believe in God’s message to you. Come out of agreement with the old and into agreement with His promises, no matter how long you have to wait.

Get free.