Shine, Jesus, Shine

 

A couple of years back I declared myself no longer in the Christmas lights club that uses those gaudy colors, but this year the lights on my tree are those bright colors!  White lights or colors – I like Christmas lights.  I throw a few on a couple of small bushes at the front of my house but I’ll never muster the energy to create one of those extravaganzas that I see along the streets in my town!

I love the symbolism of the lights. As the long darkness of winter settles over us, we protest by putting up the lights that make our homes bright. And, those lights remind me of the One who is the Light of Life. "Jesus said to the people, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12, NLT) By the way, today is the Winter solstice, the least amount of daylight, but now the light of day increases again until the earth warms and winter is gone!

Light makes life better!  When a morning dawns with brilliant sunshine, we are hopeful of a better day. A room can be made so much more inviting just by changing the way it’s lit. The harsh glare of fluorescent light may be great for a workshop, but not so much for our dining room. Jesus changes our lives by bringing Light, understanding and meaning, to us. Of the Incarnation, the Word says, "What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out." (John 1:4-5, The Message) And… He commissions us to take up the challenge of shining His light into the world. "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16, NIV)

Light brings clarity. Now that I am a bit older, I need more light when I am reading that fine print on a label. I leave a night light on in the hallway so that I don’t trip over things in the dark. Jesus shines into our life helping us to see things as they are so that we are not deceived. "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” (John 3:21, NIV)

Disciple, are you living in the Light, presenting yourself to Him prayerfully, expectantly?,

When we open our mind the truth of His Word, when we faithfully worship Him, the Light streams into our lives and dispels the confusion that sin’s darkness causes.  I hope that the Christmas lights strung around your home, along the streets, and in the stores will cause you to rejoice.  Take a cue from the ancient preacher, Isaiah, who said -  “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you." (Isaiah 60:1-2, NIV)

The word from the Word is a prayer for the Light to come.

"Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me;

let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight.

I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God." (Psalm 43, NIV)

____________

Shine, Jesus, Shine
(an older worship song that is the prayer of my heart)

Lord the light of Your love is shining

In the midst of the darkness shining

Jesus Light of the world shine upon us

Set us free by the truth You now bring us

Shine on me shine on me

Shine Jesus shine

Fill this land

With the Father's glory

Blaze Spirit blaze

Set our hearts on fire

Flow river flow

Flood the nations

With grace and mercy

Send forth Your word Lord

And let there be light

Lord I come to Your awesome presence

From the shadows into Your radiance

By the blood I may enter Your brightness

Search me try me consume all my darkness

Shine on me shine on me

As we gaze on Your kingly brightness

So our faces display Your likeness

Ever changing from glory to glory

Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story

Shine on me shine on me

Graham Kendrick

© 1987 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

CCLI License # 810055

Thank you for reading along for another year!
It is a delight of my heart to come your way each weekday morning with these thoughts.

I’m taking a break and will see you again in the New Year.

A Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year to you.