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.
I often despair when I hear or read the headlines of daily events in our world. It is so apparent that darkness is winning. But, taken from the perspective of God’s Word, what is happening is only for a season. We who are believers in Jesus Christ know that His ultimate triumph is assured, and good does overcome evil. In the meantime, while we wait for His deliverance, it is a good thing to ask God daily to show us what part we can play in overcoming evil with good. No matter how small, we can make a difference!
God will guide us to do the work that He has purposed for each of us, if we are open vessels for Him. We all live in darkness these days, but God has placed us as lights in the darkness so that we can guide others onto the path of peace. Jesus is our example, a rising sun that we can reflect to others.
It’s honestly beyond comprehension that Jesus can be the light of all mankind and that He uses each of us to shine the light that began with Him. So, yes, there is definitely darkness in the world, with evil being called good by evil, manipulative people. But, we win in the end…we just have to persevere and keep asking God to help each of us do our part.
May your day be blessed with a multitude of reminders of how you can help God’s final purpose, fulfilling your destiny and God’s plan for your life.
Although there may be darkness all around us, we are not a part of it. Darkness does not penetrate light, but rather, light penetrates the darkness and causes it to shrink or to disappear altogether. I am determined to remember that I am part of the light of Jesus and I will not let the darkness overwhelm me.
Have a blessed day and be the light that a dark world needs!
Like many people, I hate total darkness. When the electricity is off in our house, it’s extremely dark because we live in a rural area and there are no lights around us at all. We have purchased all kinds of battery operated lanterns and candles for when those times come because although I know the layout of my home well, I don’t want to stumble accidentally and perhaps fall. But, like everything else, God has a good word for this situation.
The darkness is not darkness to God. That boggles my mind but it shouldn’t since He created the night and the day. God can see in the dark just as if it were light.
Now, think about the analogy between sin and darkness. If we have darkness in our hearts (sin), God can see it. We can put on a smile and do all the right things in all the right places and with all of the right people but God is never fooled. The darkness in which we try to hide our sins is like a fully lit room to the Lord. Since we can’t hide our sin from the One who made us, it seems that we should just confess it and make ourselves right before Him, doesn’t it?
Think about the darkness the next time you are in a totally dark and enclosed room and then think about God looking down on you and seeing you as clearly as if it were broad daylight. Remarkable imagery and good to remember that the darkness tries to hide things but God always brings them to light.
May the Lord shine His light ever brightly on you, in you and through you so that others in darkness may see the light and walk towards His truth, mercy and love.
I have been reading and studying the Book of Amos in our Sunday School class and it is an eye-opening look at God’s powerful judgment. The people whom He loved so much that He led them out of Egypt, defeated all of their enemies and led them into a land flowing with milk and honey, that same people were under His judgment because of their falling away and becoming just like those they lived among. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
That’s why God calls us to be in the world, but not of the world. We have to live here on earth because that is where our Creator placed us. We are called to be lights in a dark world and the darker the world becomes, the more our lights will become apparent.
God keeps speaking to me clearly that judgment is coming on the earth. Of course, I don’t know when. No one does. But I do know that He is calling each of us to shine brightly in spite of the darkness that is overtaking the earth. In the book of Amos, God pronounces His judgment on Israel, His chosen people. If they did not escape God’s wrath, how can we hope to do so? The answer is that we cannot. Bummer, right? But the truth is that we can be prepared by humbling ourselves before the Lord and asking what He wants us to do in these days.
God has not changed His identity. He is the Lord God Almighty, Creator of all and He expects His people to continue to follow in the path of righteousness. With changes coming at us fast and furiously, and with darkness all around us, we can cling to the fact that God has not changed and will always be there for us.
I’m not prophesying the end of the world because God already did that. I’m not prophesying about God’s judgment because God already did that, too. It is important though that I pass on to you the gravity of this age and that God wants us to remain close to Him, reading and meditating on His Word and faithfully praying so that we are not caught unaware.
This is a sobering message that I really didn’t know how to share and I still don’t know if I have adequately presented it. I can only write what is in my heart and pray that God will prepare the path of your heart to read, accept and take it the way God means it to be. It is a warning from the Lord God Almighty, in one Biblical book after another. The time is coming and we have to be ready.
I heard someone say in my Bible study group on Monday night that they don’t know if they will be ready for the Lord to return because they want to continue to live, watch their children grow up and get married and meet their grandchildren. Is that not what we all want? And it may still happen! But just in case it doesn’t, we can’t love this life so much that we aren’t willing to let it go in order to be with the Lord for eternity.
May the Lord bless each of you today and give you insight into how you can let your light shine even brighter into this dark world. Be blessed, my friends, so that you can be a blessing.
This morning, I read my devotional as usual. I’m currently reading the book of Jeremiah and there is a reason he is called the “weeping prophet.” He went around telling everyone to repent and people ignored him, to their detriment. I see so many parallels with what he wrote and with what is happening in nations throughout the world that it saddens me to see such rampant and flagrant sin. Sins that were once shamefully hidden are now “out there” for all to see, flung into the face of God. There is a price to pay and we are just now beginning to pay it.
I also read my daily dose of Dr. Denison and was not at all amused to read that a high school in FL crowned a transgender as homecoming queen. As I said, sin is no longer hidden, but it is flaunted and outrageously proclaimed as right.
So, what are we as Christians to do? We are told to shine our lights to a dark world. But we are also told to “abide.”
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I’m sure since we have all studied science, we know that the moon has no light except what is reflected from the sun. Thus, we have no light unless we are reflecting the Son. We have to be part of the branch of Jesus in order to produce fruit. Frankly, just to be able to stand and say that sin is sin in today’s world requires a close contact with the Lord, an abiding, if you will.
The definition of abide will not surprise anyone, but it is worth pointing out. From http://www.dictionary.com:
verb (used without object), a·bode or a·bid·ed, a·bid·ing.to remain; continue; stay: Abide with me.to have one’s abode; dwell; reside: to abide in a small Scottish village.
We stay in the Lord Jesus. We don’t walk away and join in the darkness, but we stay in His light and reflect it to others. Some may be repelled by the light because they prefer the darkness. But our hope is always that some will be attracted to the light and come to the knowledge that can offer the assurance of an eternal future with Him. We dwell with Jesus. We are not just occasional visitors eating at the table of plenty that He has provided us. We live there! Every day, every minute of every hour. That’s our home, where we should feel the most comfortable. Going out into the world does not mean leaving Jesus behind. He dwells in us, just as we dwell in Him. So, when we are doing our daily activities and interacting with others, we have that light to reflect to others because it is in us.
I fall far short of what I should be as a Christian, but all of the sin in the world is not pulling me away from Jesus. Rather, I am tucking myself in closer to Him, desiring not just His grace and mercy but also His protection from the evil of the world. I desire that protection for all those with whom I come in contact, too. They will not know He is there for them unless I tell them, or unless you tell them. The consequence of sin is death and eternal separation from God. I agree that it is often difficult to share our faith with unbelievers who mock or who walk away as fast as they can. However, if one life is changed, it is worth it.
My prayer for each of you today is to be that light that the world needs and to abide in the Lord so that you can reflect His glory, grace, goodness and mercy. Be the person God created you to be, His beloved child. God bless you, my friends.
As I watched the debate last night, I was appalled at the childish bickering of the participants. Then, today, as I was reading my Bible devotional for the day, this verse jumped off the page at me. This is indeed a “crooked and perverse generation”, from the leadership of our nation to the rioters wreaking destruction. But we are here for this time for a reason. We have a purpose, to “shine as lights in the world.” Just as this was true when Paul penned these words to the Philippians, it is true today. There is great darkness in the world, but we are called for this time to shine our lights so that the darkness is dispelled. I cannot do everything, but I can do one thing. I can speak out my opinions about debates and candidates and riots and I can stand for truth no matter where I am. How about you? Are you shining as a light in the world or are you hiding behind all of the bushels (issues) of the day? I confess that I prefer to hide because I like to avoid confrontations. However, if we don’t confront, who will? Who will tell the truth if we don’t. We have a treasure to share with the world, and I hope that you will join me in sharing it with a lost world. Have a blessed day, remembering that you were born for this time for a reason.
I heard a news story this morning that made me gasp in dismay. Dr. Oz was interviewed on Fox News and said that the most vulnerable population may have to shelter in place until the virus is completely gone. I started to get upset about not seeing my children and grandchildren for a year or more. Then, I read my Bible and God spoke peace to my heart. After all, He is in control.
No matter what is happening around us, we can have complete and total confidence in God. He is the light in our darkness, the song in our hearts and the whisper in our ear in the quiet of night. Let God speak peace to you today and be blessed by His presence!
www.bible.com/1171/php.2.14-15.mev
No matter what is happening around us, we can have complete and total confidence in God. He is the light in our darkness, the song in our hearts and the whisper in our ear in the quiet of night. Let God speak peace to you today and be blessed by His presence!
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 