When I went into that hospital room, the atmosphere was dark. The woman in the bed is very old, her health frail, the future, as we see it, uncertain. “God has abandoned me,” she said, the fear in her voice unmistakable. I pulled up a chair and took her hand, listened to her for a few moments and turned her thoughts to the Scripture. When we prayed together, it was as if a light turned on. We welcomed His Presence and He brightened that day.
Are you living in the dark?
I am ever so grateful for the Light of Christ, that allows me to see life as it is. There are days when nothing makes sense, when the many contradictory voices around me leave me wondering, “Who is right? What is the way?” IF I retreat from the noise, find a place to meditate, to pray, in silence, I am recentered by His Presence. A clarity of mind comes with the Light He gives. He said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12, NIV) The promise is ours to own. We can live ‘on purpose’ with a clear focus on the will of God.
Ever stumbled through a dark room, trying to avoid falling over unseen obstacles? Without the Light, that is how we live. If we reject the Spirit and choose to be self-willed, if we refuse to trust God, we will ‘walk in darkness,’ knowing ever more confusion, one destructive choice following another. Our lives can turn into a chaotic mess – relationally, financially, and spiritually. “Why,” we wonder, “do I keep making the same dumb mistakes over and over again? Why can’t I get it right?” We need to move towards the Light. IF we remain in our sin unwilling to enter into faith, our understanding of the will of God will be clouded, the Truth hidden, our heart darkened by disobedience.
In John’s Gospel, the themes of Truth and Light are woven into the story of Jesus. Summarizing His discussion with Nicodemus, a religious leader who was spiritually confused, Jesus said, “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” (John 3:19-21)
Christian, let’s choose to ‘live in the Light!’ "You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” We can turn from the Light. If we do, the purposeful, hopeful life we knew is lost to the dark. That is why the Word reminds us to “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:8-14, NIV
Living in the light of Christ is not a ‘once and done’ decision. Each day we have a choice – We serve Christ Jesus or we serve Self. We cannot do both. IF we turn from Him, we dim the light. The further we walk from Him, the more that the confusion of spiritual darkness overtakes us. In the that dark we lose our purpose, our joy, our peace.
John preached that theme of Light throughout his life. In his letter to the church, written decades after his Gospel, he tells us that living in the Light allows us to know intimacy with the Spirit of God. "This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth. But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin." (1 John 1:5-7, NLT) Be careful not to turn that into perfectionism! The call to live in the Light is an invitation to a relationship, not a life committed to religious rule-keeping!
So, light or dark? What will you choose?
Will you wander through life, alone and afraid? Or will you
let the Light of Christ shine on you so that you can confidently walk through
each day, guided by spiritual insight?
The word from the Word -
“Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you.
The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.
Put your trust in the light while you have it,
so that you may become sons of light.” (John 12:35)
_______________
Here I
Am To Worship
(Chris Tomlin sings a prayer)
Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes let me see
Beauty that made
This heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You
So here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You're my God
And You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
King of all days
Oh so highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above
Humbly You came
To the earth You created
All for love's sake became poor
And I'll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
And I'll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
Tim Hughes © 2000 Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
CCLI License # 810055
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