Light in my life!

 

My studio (desk and quilting space) is in the basement with one window. My hubby’s den where he works from home is on the north side. It has a window but short winter days mean less light. To overcome the dimness in both spaces, we had LED lights installed. They are flat, round and about 12” across, set on the highest of five levels which is equal to daylight. With light like that, we both feel as if we are working outside in the sunshine.

Light is powerful. Sunshine not only gives warmth and life but also light in what would be a dark, cold place without it. The same could be said even more of Jesus who shines beyond the sun: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:3)

Today’s devotional says that the sun cannot be without its brightness or separated from its light, nor can God be separated from the glory of Jesus Christ. God has never been without Him, or He without the Father, yet as the brightness of the sun is not the sun, the glory of Christ is not the fullness of all that God is — in that He limited Himself by becoming a man.

Though he was in the form of God, (Jesus) did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:6–8)

My mind cannot grasp how this works. God remains God yet He became a babe to grow to an adult who lived here and died here, rising from the dead to bring us the light we need so that we do not ever need to walk in the darkness of sin and unbelief. This is utterly amazing.

Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

As the radiance of God’s glory, Christ can transmit that light into our lives so we can radiate the glory of God to a dark world. This has always been His plan. In the OT, He said:

I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations. (Isaiah 42:6)

It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6)

Then Jesus came, first to bring that same light to us. “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4–5) Yet He knew we needed to grab hold of His light, allow it to be ‘installed’ in us and then keep it turned on:

Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.” (John 12:35)

The devotional writer adds that the term “exact imprint” from Hebrews 1:3 to describe Christ’s relationship to God’s nature is associated with an impression reproduced on a seal by a die or a stamp. This means Jesus Christ is the perfect, personal imprint of God in time and space, the same God who spoke (the Word) and light was produced in the void of darkness. Amazing!

Jesus Christ is the full expression of God and the exact reproduction of God’s nature in human history. He can come into the lives of sinners and give us light to see and know God. He is the source of spiritual life and His light gives purpose, meaning, peace, joy, and fellowship with Him forever.

PRAY: Jesus, You are the light of my life. I’m deeply affected by all that You are and all that You shine into my mind and heart. You gave up all that You are to become a human person so that You could shed light into our dark world and into our dark and separated-from-You hearts. Because of You, I can walk in the light of life, a light that is overwhelmingly bright.

PONDER: Read 2 Corinthians 4:3–6 and pray for light in the lives of those who are unable to see the wonder of Jesus.

 

 

Jesus — the Light of the World

Genesis 9–10; Matthew 9; Ezra 9; Acts 9

I’m reading about the connection between certain kinds of light and good health. Fascinating stuff. It is also practical.

For instance, sometimes my mind wanders when we give thanks before meals. The habit makes it a ritual and I catch myself and tell myself to be thankful. Light from God this morning tells me that “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.”

This reminds me of God’s goodness. The rest of the passage is light too as it warns putting animals in the same class as humans and refusing to eat animals because that is the wrong reason. God puts humans in a class by themselves because we are made in the image of God. He says if man or animal kills a person He will require a reckoning because, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” (Genesis 9:1–6) Besides my daily food, being created in His image is worthy of deep and heart-felt thanksgiving.

In Ezra, as throughout the Old Testament, God sheds light on the seriousness of disobeying Him. He forbade marriage to pagans knowing they would drag His people into idolatry. When it happened and Ezra was informed, he fasted and prayed:

“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. (Ezra 9:6–7)

As this prophet, “prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly.” (Ezra 10:1) They realized that the only ‘cure’ for sin is forgiveness that comes through faith, repentance and obedience. This covers sins like being unthankful, like taking God’s goodness for granted, and like the serious sin of linking up with pagans.

We all need forgiveness. Jesus knows this is our greatest need. When some people brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed, He put forgiveness at the top of His to-do list:

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” (Matthew 9:2)

After that, He healed the man.

Jesus was criticized for spending too much time with those called ‘sinners’ by other people who didn’t realize they are sinners too. He responded, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12–13)

For me, this is also practical. Spiritual need is more important than physical. Are my priorities like the priorities of Jesus? If I am sick, God can use it for His glory. My desire for healing and comfort might be just that, not for the glory of God.

Acts brings thoughts to the power of Light. Is the Bible using it figuratively? Or is there more to the way God made us than most realize? Science is discovering how certain kinds of light reverse symptoms and even heal many disorders. Our biggest ‘disorder’ is sin — the desire to run our own lives. This describes Paul before conversion:

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. (Acts 9:1–3)

The greatest light is the Light of the World who shone into this man’s heart and produced a new creation. Jesus did this to me also and to others I know who have ‘seen Jesus’ and in whose light they walk. The more I read and believe God’s Word and the more I understand who He is and what He wants from me, the more He enlightens and changes how I think and behave. This is awesome stuff, awesome indeed!