I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
There are many in today’s world who choose to live in darkness. Some don’t even realize that the place where they abide is filled with the darkness of the world because the enemy of our souls has blinded them to the truth. Those of us, however, who know the truth are called to stay in the light that Jesus has provided, not to join our fellow men in their darkness, but rather to invite them to come into the light with us. There should never be a time when we join others in the darkness because Jesus called us out of that place of ignorance and sin. Why would we go back in only to stumble around again and perhaps fall? The obvious answer is that we who are pressing into God and listening to the leading of His Spirit would not choose darkness over light. We are the light that Jesus left on the earth to shine into darkness, not to become a part of it. So when we condone sin and say it’s not a big deal, let’s be clear that it is a big deal to God and we are taking a dangerous step into darkness. We should always remain in the light, never wavering or flickering, but shining brightly in spite of those who are offended by the light.
Please go to the original post and follow the author. This is a wonderful post that is encouraging and enlightening and will start your day off with Biblical wisdom.
Sometimes, my devotional leads me to a prayer, a time of crying out to God for myself and for others. Such was the case as I read and studied my Bible verses this morning. May this prayer be true in your life today and every day in which you face darkness. May the light that floods your soul give you the hope that you need and the confidence to realize that you are His children. One day we will inherit the kingdom that He has prepared for us. Until that day comes, may our hearts be totally consumed with the light of His love, mercy grace and hope.
“Be the light!” the preacher proclaims from the pulpit. “Shine in the darkness,” says the Sunday school teacher. All good advice, but the practicality sometimes escapes us as we hurry away from the darkness and try to stay near the light ourselves. We are missing the point that we are the light and in our haste to move away from darkness, we are missing opportunities to shine His light on a dark world.
We try to stay insulated in our protected group of Christians who all believe as we do when what we are supposed to do is go into the world and shine the light that we have on the people who don’t yet know that they need Jesus. When we are doing what we should be doing, we are going to naturally attract others and need to have an answer for the hope that is in us. Be ready at all times to tell others how Jesus has made a difference in your life! Like a moth is attracted to a flame or any kind of light, so people in darkness need to know that there is a light that they can turn to. At the most unexpected times and from some of the most unexpected sources, you may have people seeking answers from you because they have seen your light and want to know more about what makes you different. Be ready to be that light!
Many times we fear approaching darkness because we are intimidated by just how dark it is and the fact that we cannot see “two inches in front of our face.” That’s okay, Step into the darkness and it won’t be dark anymore because your presence brings the light with you.
The light that is in us comes from the Lord Jesus. When darkness is all around, we can continue to shine and attract others to the beauty of salvation and the peace and hope that it offers.
Before I pray each day, I praise and worship, so let’s start with giving God the honor and glory due His Name.
Just take a few minutes to sit quietly in God’s presence and worship Him, not for what He has done but because of who He is.
My prayer for you today is from God’s Word. May it touch your heart and soul and burrow down deep into the places that you need it most.
Understanding all that God has done for you is key to establishing a relationship of glorifying Him. We can have confident hope that we are His!
But there is more! So much more! The same power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead is there for us to tap into once we understand it. We can only get that understanding by spending time with Him. I pray that an urgent desire to spend time with God, understanding His great power and love for you, fills you today. Time with God is precious. Spend it wisely and well, and have a great and blessed day!
Since I was a small child, I have feared the darkness. I always had a night light as I grew up, although my mother wouldn’t allow one plugged into my bedroom socket. Instead, there was a street light just outside my window that shone brightly all night long. When I went to college, I left the bathroom light on when I didn’t have a night light. When I moved into my first apartment, I had a night light in the kitchen and in the bedroom. These days, I have one in the living room and in the bathroom. I just hate it when the electricity fails and I am in total darkness until Dominion Power restores it. I don’t fear the darkness so much these days because I know that God made it just as He created the light. But I much prefer the light and being able to see things instead of stumbling around in the darkness. After all, God called the light “good.”
I feel very bad for those who live in darkness day in and day out. They don’t know about the light that can shine into their world and lead them on the path of eternal life. How difficult it must be for them when they are facing death, eternal darkness! We don’t have to walk in darkness, but some people choose to do so because they prefer not to be seen. They don’t want people to know them as they really are. I’m not sure that they realize that God sees them wherever they are and whatever they are doing. Our sins are always known to the Father who made us and yet He provided a way to save us from the darkness of our sins even before we are aware of His great love for us and His gift of salvation.
The darkness that is in the earth today is because sin is rampant and it doesn’t seem that it’s going to get better. People seem to prefer the darkness of sin and living for the evil one rather than choosing light and living for God. As I stated at the beginning, I don’t like the dark. I am not afraid of what it can do to me these days. Rather, I fear what it is doing in the hearts of mankind, with their permission. They allow darkness in and push the light away, much to the detriment of their souls. I like light. God made it and said that it was good. God separated the darkness and the light for a reason, and He wants us to choose to live in the light. However, mankind wants to confuse the two so that their sin is justified in their own minds. Again, I am afraid of the dark…not for what it will do to me because I am a child of the light, but for what it is doing to sinful man who continues to make the wrong choices and is even leading small children in their sinful ways. God will have the last word just as He had the first ones. He will speak and judgment will fall…darkness on those who chose darkness, for all eternity. I pray that many will repent before that Day of the Lord comes!
May you be blessed with the light of life shining in your hearts and may it reach out to others in the darkness.
Since I was a young child, I have preferred light over darkness and I still sleep with a night light nearby. In my childhood, my mother would not tolerate my foolish insecurities and never allowed me to have a night light, but there was a street light that shone brightly into my bedroom every night and with its shining comfort, I was able to sleep. I am not a fan of winter, not just because of the cold, but also because of the darkness that comes earlier and stays later. When we lived in Maine, I went to work in the morning in the wintertime, and it was dark. When I left school in the afternoon, it was already dusk and by the time I got home, it was dark. Darkness doesn’t really frighten me any longer; I just prefer to see clearly and darkness doesn’t allow that.
Jesus came for the specific purpose of saving mankind from darkness, but the darkness wasn’t surrounding them. Instead, it was in them. In fact, the darkness that is the equivalent of sin is in each of us because we were born in sin and only Jesus can lead us to the light of His grace and mercy and ultimate peace.
I cannot imagine Heaven because it boggles my mind that there is no need for the sun or moon there. God and Jesus illuminate the entire new city of Jerusalem. No darkness at all! After all, there is no sin in Heaven. When I think of how dark the world is today, and not just from winter, but from mankind’s evil choices, it gives me hope that one day there will be no darkness. It also makes me sad that so many who are living in darkness and think that they will never pay consequences for their evil choices are doomed to eternal darkness. I can only pray for them, speak truth as I am given the opportunity and wait for them to begin to make right choices, ones led by God. In the meantime, there is a blessed hope for each of us who are believers. One day, there will be no more darkness!
Imagine no more night! When I visited my husband while he was stationed in Iceland, it was amazing to me that the sun didn’t go down while I was there. There were blackout curtains on the windows to allow us to sleep during the brightly lit night. Now, imagine a world in which light is the only thing known. No darkness at all, ever. More importantly, no sin…no cursing, no lying, no killing, and most importantly, no evil in the heart or mankind. No woke culture proclaiming that lies are the truth. No politicians glad-handing and making promises that they never intend to keep. No sin anywhere in God’s New Kingdom, none at all! That is true light, isn’t it?
Have a blessed day and may you be encouraged by the thought that one day the darkness that surrounds us will be no more.
God first separated the light from the darkness, noting that the light was good.
Jesus is the light of the world who shed His loving light on all mankind.
As Christians, we are called to shine our lights, reflecting the light of Jesus to a dark and dying world. The end result is to give glory to the Father who created the light to begin with.
Darkness cannot conquer light but is dispelled by it. That is why it is so important for us to continue to shine in a world that is becoming increasingly dark.
Jesus came as a man and displayed God’s glory to all. Can we do any less if we say that we are but reflections of Him?
Hallelujah! I am a child of the light and so are all who know Jesus as Lord!
Praise God for the fourth Sunday of Advent because being a light gives each of us a purpose and a mission. Have a blessed day!
www.bible.com/reading-plans/42932/day/2
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 