The Light That Found Me in the Mountains
Isaiah 60 in the Mountains and in My Bones
I remember the race like it was yesterday.
John, a new friend, told me excitedly, "I'll crew for you!"
It was my second ultramarathon: 57 miles through the Blue Ridge Mountains with 14,000 feet of elevation gain. I was excited for several reasons. This time around, I had trained a little more... even with a fractured rib and injured ankles.
And God did something spectacular in those mountains.
To me, it felt like a short 13 hours. Physically and mentally, it was grueling—gloriously challenging. But what made it even sweeter was proving many people wrong about my goal of finishing in the top 10 (Ok…I’m a little competitive and even more ambitious). By God's grace, I placed third overall, only beaten by two professional runners.
But more than surpassing my goal that day because of God’s strength in me, my spirit was filled.
John, who is around the same age as the man who could've been my birth dad, greeted me at the finish line with my incredible, pregnant wife and our daughters. Seeing my wife and daughters there meant the world to me.
Then John did something else that filled my spirit in a way I have always longed for it to be filled.
He hugged me, looked me in the eyes, and said, "I love you, and I'm proud of you."
Then he bent down, took off my shoes, and massaged my feet.
Later, as he walked me to the car, he said again: "I love you. I'm proud of you."
I don't have a relationship with my birth dad. But my life is not lacking in the redeeming glory of God. Over and over again, God has revealed His love through examples of godly men—offering the kind of fatherly love I deeply desire, while simultaneously filling me with His own perfect love.
As I was reading Isaiah 60:1, the story of John came to mind:
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you."
Because of His redeeming love—not only through others but directly through Himself—I’ve been able to rise and shine. The glory of the Lord has shone on me again and again.
What powerful words those must have been for Israel to hear.
They were stuck in Babylon, living in exile. Isaiah 60 is full of prophetic language—not just about their coming relief from exile but also about the dawning of a new light.
That light is Jesus Christ.
We see it fulfilled when the Magi followed the star—drawn to the Light of the World. And one day, this poetic vision will be fully realized: a light so pure, so radiant, so everlasting that we won’t need the sun, moon, or stars. God Himself will be our everlasting light.
Israel let God down over and over again. Still, He held to His promise.
He didn’t act out of wrath like some power-hungry dictator. No, He restrained Himself—not because He lacked power, but because He is a sovereign Father, not a tyrant. He desires a relationship with His children, His creation, His people.
"Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion" (Isaiah 60:10).
Never Finished Challenge: Arise and Shine
I don’t know what season you’re in right now. But here’s what I do know: you need daily Light.
And the same light that shone on Israel to relieve them from exile is shining on you to relieve you from your exile.
🙏🏼 So receive it—open His Word, talk to Him, worship, tell a friend to pray for you, get in creation.
The same light that split the heavens and conquered death for good on Calvary—that same light has split your heart of stone and made it flesh.
It has given you an eternity because of Christ.
🙏🏼 So live it—the two days we should ponder daily are today and the day we stand before Christ. Make today count.
The same light that shone on the empty tomb is being offered to you today.
🙏🏼 So arise.
Shine.
Step into the calling God has given you.
Go and be the gospel.
Go and teach the gospel.
What Does Today Say About God?
God does not get tired.
What I mean is—He doesn’t scoff at my mess-ups. He doesn’t hit me when I’m down.
He draws me in.
As I pursue Him and learn to obey what He says, He does not hold back light.
He is the opposite of selfish—He is divinely generous. He is the opposite of demanding—He is merciful and unconditionally loving.
Thank You, Jesus.