"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ." (II Corinthians 4:6)
"When Jesus spoke again to the people, 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)
"The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life , of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)
"Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed." (Ecclesiastes 8:1)
"He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." (Psalm 37:6)
What an amazing and awesome array of Scripture ...words spoken and ordained from the very mouth of Jehovah God. What is He saying? What inspiration and understanding can we draw from these passages?
God is Light. He shines forth...His power and glory penetrate the darkness.
In our physical world we experience this concept every morning when the sun rises, signalling an end to the night. The first light of dawn appears grey after the inky blackness of the midnight hours. Then comes the myriad of beautiful yellows, oranges and reds as the sunbeams pierce the grey and the skies change to blue.
We receive light from a flashlight beam in the dark corners of recessed places, or when we walk through the woods on a moonless night.
We can see where to walk in our homes by a candle's flame when we lose our electricity in a storm.
All of these are physical sources of illumination seen with physical eyes.
We know that it is impossible to produce this kind of light out of our bodies, just as well as we know that the light the above verses speak of is not that type of light.
I'm sure each of you has heard the phrase, "She has a smile that lights up the whole room when she walks in!" Now that may be a little closer to the concept we are looking for.
The words from II Corinthians 4:6 come the closest to explaining what God's changing grace does to us. "For God... made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ."
We were once "sons of disobedience," a part of the darkness of this fallen world.
When we heard the Good News and believed that Christ came and died for us, and we accepted the Gospel message as our salvation, it was that glory that shone from the face of Christ that entered into our souls. Our spirits were eternally changed!!! The source of LIGHT in the spiritual kingdom....God Himself...entered into us. That glory is the light God wants to shine out from us.
"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." (Rev. 21:23)
"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)
This is what a Christian should look like. Our spirits are to be bright shining lights giving hope and sight to those walking in the darkness of sin. Remember....where God is not, there is no light.
I urge you today to pause for just a moment, and seriously consider the amount of light you are giving off in your circle of acquaintances. Do the people who know you assume you are a Christian simply because you have a smile that lights up a room and you have a "sunny" personality? or....Do they know beyond a shadow of a doubt because they witness your love for Christ and get a megawatt view of that indwelling glory of the Holy Spirit? By your speech and the topics of your conversations, your attitudes and your opinions, your actions and your reactions, your anxieties or lack of them....do those around you receive illumination about living a life that fully trusts and rests in God's hands?
Let your little light shine! With the Power Source you have within you, you might be surprised! That little glory-light glow may just turn into a beam like a lighthouse strobe that pierces the darkness further and wider than you ever could have imagined.
Power up with God every day! Keep it burning brightly!
Blessings,
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