Jesus, Light of the World (12-23-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light all of the Advent Candles and the Christ candle.)
"Since the creation of the world when God said, 'Let there be light,' our dark world has been influenced by the illuminating quality of light.  God always intended for the darkness to be separated from the light, and that principle has deep spiritual ramifications as well.  Once, while we were still sinners, Christ came into the world bringing His light, so that we might come in faith to Him.  When we did, we began to walk in the Light of Christ.
Today, as we consider all of the Advent Candles and their significance to our walk, we are again reminded of the importance of light in the Christmas story as we have been studying it in this blog devotional.  Think back with me to the very first candle of Advent, the Prophesy Candle.  Isaiah told us of the coming of the Messiah.  He told us of a Light that would come out of Galilee;  that those who walked in darkness would see this light; and that the Light would shine on them.  Later, Isaiah said to us all, 'Arise, shine, for the Light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon us.'  His prophecy foretells the Light of Christ coming into the souls of humans who have been darkened by the sin found in their hearts.  Once inside of us, though, this Light will now be seen by others who walk in the same darkness in which we once walked.  How we thank you Lord, for the prophets of old who told us that You would come.
Next, let's contemplate the Bethlehem Candle, our second Advent Candle.  We remember that God revealed the Light of the world to an obscure village and its people.  On a dark hillside outside of Bethlehem, the shepherds were astonished when all at once an angel lit up the entire night sky with all the glory of Heaven itself.  The angel stood in the shepherds' presence and declared to then the good news of great joy.  But God did not stop with just one angel.  He sent down a multitude of these heavenly bodies who brought glory to the Christ Child, the Light of the world, and the warmth of the Light surrounding them comforted the shepherds as they heard the good news of a Savior who had been born in Bethlehem.
As we consider the only pink candle in the Advent Wreath, our thoughts return again to the words of the angels.  This pink candle, the third Advent Candle, represents the good news of salvation in Christ alone.  Because this Infant God would bear in His body our sin, of which He would die from the punishment He would take for us, we would no longer have to be separated from God if we would but realize that His bloodshed was the only  punishment needed for our sinfulness.  The color of the candle represents blood that now saves us, something we could never do for ourselves.  Jesus accomplish this salvation because He was the perfect and holy sacrifice that was required.  Now we must share this good news of salvation in Christ with others, carrying to others the only Light that can now brighten their darkness like the noonday sun.
Our last candle in the wreath, the third purple one, causes us to remember the wise men who traveled so very far to come and worship whomever the star would lead them to.  By a bright heavenly star, God lead these brilliant men to a tiny child who would become the Savior of the world.  These men followed a light to the Light!  To follow the directions of the star was their obedience to God, and such obedience led them to the Light.  This candle, the Wise Men Candle, teaches us what our response should now be to so great a Light and Salvation.  We should, like them, follow with joy, obeying all He tells us to do.
We have one last candle to light.  It is not in the wreath itself, but stands tall above the four, in the center of the wreath.  This is the Christ Candle and it symbolizes the purity and holiness of Christ, the One who is to be the most see in all that we do, a shining example of who we are to be.  The light of His candle should prompt our hearts and spirits to reflect that same light, His light.  The Christ Candle calls believers to a deeper walk of commitment as we face the coming New Year.  So let's join our spirits together in a prayer of just such a commitment as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, the Light of your world and mine.  Will you pray with me?
Precious Light of the world, how we desire to worship You in a new and fresh way.  Today, we want to offer You a sacrifice similar to the wise men who brought their very best to You.  Teach us the deeper meaning of Your birthday story. 
In the coming year . . .

• let us arise from our complacency and shine Your light to others, lighting their way to You,
• let us run to meet with You, Jesus, and then run to tell others of Your transforming light,
• let us remember the sinful state from which we have been saved and learn to walk daily in the light of Your salvation
• and let us follow diligently after You, O Bright and Morning Star, for You are the Light of the world, and our Light and salvation, and we rejoice in You!  In Your holy and most precious name we pray, Amen."

Merry Christmas, my dear readers!  And may 2013 be a bright year, filled with the Light of Jesus, the Light of the world!
Watch for more blogs after the New Year!
Blessings to you all!

Jesus, Light of the World (12-20-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the fourth Advent Candle, the Wise Men candle.)

Matthew 2: 12-18
"Now that the Magi had seen the Christ Child, had worshiped Him, and had given Him their greatest treasures, they understood that it had been God who had orchestrated their journey and this meeting.  God had spoken to them through the Scriptures and the prophecies, through the sign of the star, and through seeing the Savior as the fulfillment of the journey God led them to make.  But now, this was something new.  God had never before spoken to them in this manner.  Yes, God had clearly spoken to them in a dream, warning them not to return to King Herod!  Leaving Bethlehem, they chose to listen to God and heed His warning, so they returned to their own country, but they did not return by the same path on which they traveled when they were following the star.  Instead, they chose to walk in the Light!

But King Herod refused to accept the Light for who He was.  He chose to remain in the darkness of his sin, jealousy, and bitterness.  Herod believed that he had been tricked by the Magi when they did not return to Him, as he had requested of them, and report to him the exact location of the Christ Child.  It appeared that way as he muttered to himself in the darkness of his own making, but in the light, it is clear that it was God who would not allow Herod to discover the whereabouts of Jesus.

Evil poured out of King Herod.  He became so enraged at the course of events, so threatened by this Child King, that he committed the unthinkable.  He recalled from his conversation with the Magi the approximate time that the star had appeared to them in the eastern sky.  He took that information and ordered his men to go to Bethlehem and its surrounding area and kill every male child who was declared to be two years old and younger.  They carried out his wishes to the letter and left in their wake so great a mourning and weeping that our finite minds could never completely imagine it.  Herod's evil and dark plan was intended to snuff out the flame of the Light of the world before others could catch on to His fire.  This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah concerning the event of the birth of Christ (Jeremiah 31:15).  But God had other plans for His Son.  Before the decree went forth from Herod, He had spoken to Joseph in a dream to warn him as well.  Joseph was told by God to take Mary and Jesus to safety in Egypt because Herod was going to search for the Child with the intent to destroy Him (Matthew 2:13).  Joseph was complicit, and he immediately and wisely chose to obey the warning of God.  Joseph and Mary, with baby Jesus in her arms, quickly packed up and left for Egypt, where they remained until God called them out, when Herod died and it was safe for them to return home.

God still speaks to those who will listen.  He used the Magi in His eternal plan for the gospel to go forth.  They were a part of His divine purposes.  And today, so are we!  As we continue to attempt to be faithful to spread the Light of Jesus in our dark and lost world, there will surely be opposition to overcome.  The darkness will always be looking for opportunities to extinguish the Light.  So we must be constantly connected to God and His word, listening to the directions that He gives us, so that the Light that we have to share will not be snuffed out.

Pray for divine appointments from God in which you can share Christ with others.  Pray for protection over the words that you will speak, so that they might not be overcome by the evil one.  Listen to the warnings and directions God is giving you.  Obey in faith all that He asks and directs you to do.  Those who can be called 'wise men' today are those who know the voice of God and who are willing to be intimately connected to Him and His purposes so that the gospel of Light can be shared with those who are trapped in the darkness of the evil one.  Who knows how many might say, 'I have seen the Light!' because of your willingness to share Him with them!"

Jesus, Light of the World (12-19-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the fourth Advent Candle, the Wise Men candle.)

Matthew 2: 10-11
"And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.'

Can you visualize that sight?  The moment the wise men were setting out to continue their journey, they saw that the light continued to shine on them.  The knew that the God of the universe was smiling directly at them.  They traveled on with great expectancy and urgency because they knew that they were close to where the Christ Child would be found.  They were filled with so much joy that it could not be contained by any of them.

When I was a child my family occasionally  traveled to central Florida to spend Christmas with my grandparents.  Coming from central Illinois, and trying to make the best use of the time we were given for Christmas vacation, we always drove it in 24 hours.  It was a grueling trip for my dad, who did all the driving.  He often had to maneuver through snow, sleet, or ice, or even all three in order to not lose more than a day to travel travel time.  In Tennessee he had to add driving through Lookout Mountain to the itinerary, and coming from a completely flat state, this was a big deal, especially if the weather was bad!  Breakfast was usually somewhere in Georgia, and the moment we hit the Florida line and the sun began to shine brightly and warmly, the excitement would begin to build.  With three children crammed in the back seat of our Chevy, loaded down with toys, blankets and pillows, and loaded up on sugar from the orange juice at the welcome center, dad had the most difficult part of the drive just ahead of him simply because of the uncontainable excitement of those children in the backseat who couldn't wait to get to Grandma and Granddad's house.  The moment that we hit the two-lane road that led from the interstate to Lakeland, it would be a zoo.  When we reached that spot, we kids knew that we were down to the last sixty minutes of the 24-hour drive. . . sixty minutes before we could jump into the arms of Granddad and be smothered with kisses from Grandma.  As we passed each of the well-known 'guideposts,' the excitement grew to a near-frenzy until, at last, we pulled into their driveway, jumped out of the car, and ran to greet our awaiting grandparents.

The magi's experience was similar.  They were close, so very close, yet not quite there.  Joy burst forth from them with such rejoicing as they continued their trek to Bethlehem, to the place where they would soon gaze upon the Messiah, the Light of the World.

At last, at long last, they came to the place where Jesus was!  They entered the house, and in sheer awe, joy, and ecstasy, they bowed down before the King of the Jews and poured out their heartfelt worship to Him.  And just like when we visit relatives for Christmas, they 'opened up their treasures and presented to the Christ Child gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.'  These were the very best gifts they had to give.

Is your joy level high as you approach the day that we celebrate the birth of your Savior?  Is it pouring out from you and onto others?  What gifts are you bringing Him this season?  Have you considered giving Him the gift of YOURSELF and your worship?  Or have you been wrapped up in the activities that bring the seasonal stress?  Why not take several moments today to bring Him your gift.  I promise, it will restore the excitement in you, like when you were a child waiting for Christmas Day to arrive.  He is worthy of our delight and joy-filled hearts!"

Jesus, Light of the World (12-17-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the fourth Advent Candle, the Wise Men candle.)

Matthew 2: 1-2
"As we begin our last week of preparation, anticipating the lighting of the fourth Advent Candle, our focus will be on another critical part of the Christmas Story.  This week we will be led to the manger by the wise men.  Their story can be found in the book of Matthew.

In the days when Jesus was born Herod declared himself King of Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel where Jerusalem is located.  One day while Jesus was still an infant, a band of men from Persia arrived in Jerusalem.  They were called 'magi' (pronounced 'may-ji') which meant that they were from a certain sect of people who were specialists in the areas of astrology, medicine, and natural sciences.  They had so deep a wisdom and knowledge of these things that it separated them from other men.  And as you can probably guess, the word 'magi' is the root word of our word 'magic.'

These magi were well-studied in the Scriptures, as well, which were full of prophecies foretelling the birth of the Savior, to One who would be declared to be the King of the Jews (Zechariah 9:9).  Possibly, word had reach them concerning His birth because the shepherds had repeated to others what the angels from heaven had told them.  But either way, in their inquiries to King Herod, they called the child by name, saying 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?'  Not only had their studies of the Scriptures caused them to make this trip, but also their thorough study and mapping of every movement and change in the star patterns in the night sky.  They had seen the light that would reveal the Light they had read about.  On the night that the scriptures and the star lined up with each other, a conviction so deep came upon these men causing them to know in their hearts that the long awaited Savior had surely arrived.

Out of their great excitement and expectancy, the magi hurried to go and find the One who had been born King of the Jews.  Their wisdom and knowledge on this subject was profound and given by God Himself, but this wasn't what caused them to be considered wise.  At least not by God.  They were wise in the eyes of the One who created the stars because they had arrived at the correct conclusion after their study of both the stars and the Scriptures.  They saw how the two were in agreement, and therefore, they could rightly and wisely discern that the Messiah of Israel was surely the King of the Jews that the prophets of old had prophesied.  They knew that if they sought Him now,  they would surely find this newborn King!  Their long quest to ascertain when and where He would be born had paid of, for He had been born in their lifetime.  Now there were only two things for them to do.  They had to find this infant King, and then they would sure bow their knees in worship to the long awaited King.

We live in a day where a Bible is readily available to study.  It might not even be a book that we read from, but a computer or cell phone.  We have grown up in America where the name of Jesus is completely familiar.  But we so often do not have a heart that will bow down to Him and worship Him when we clearly know who He is.  Find a quiet spot today and come to Him.  Bow before Him and worship Him.  He is worthy of our worship and adoration.  At this Christmastime, you might use your nativity scene as your focus and prompts of specific prayers, using Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and yes, the wise men to call you into account and to lead you to fervent praise and worship.  You might even contemplate these questions:  'Does God consider me wise?'  'Today, how do I  actively seek Him?'  'Do I know and follow what the Bible says?'"

Jesus, Light of the World (12-14-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the third Advent Candle, the Good News candle.)

Ephesians 5: 3-10

The greatest detriment to 'good works' is a life that doesn't reflect the Light of Jesus Christ.  The lost world recoils from us when our actions are different than our words.  Christians who are living a life of sin will likely never have their good works received by unbelievers.  In their eyes we are nothing more than hypocrites if they see that we are not doing what say.  How can we avoid blowing our witness before those who are walking in darkness?  Our Scripture reading today will hit us right between the eyes with on possible answer to this question.

We are called to deal with our weaknesses and sins through a daily time of fellowship with the Lord.  It is in our time of studying the Word and praying to God that we can recognize those things that still need to change in our hearts (inner thoughts) and lives (actions).  Consistently leaving God out of the equation by trying to 'will' ourselves into better behavior will only end in failure.  Have you ever made a New Year's resolution?  Have you ever kept one?  Our fleshly 'willpower' is faulty.  It will never lead us to eternal victories over the daily sins we commit.  Only the Spirit of God in us can do that, but He must be released to work in us by our surrender and submission to Him.  We must stop trying to clean up our lives in our own strength if we desire to bear the fruit of good works that leads others to salvation.  God says that when we claim to make broad-sweeping changes in our lives, they are nothing but empty words, they reveal that we are 'sons of disobedience,' and therefore we are walking in darkness.  Is it any wonder then that we are unable to reach those in darkness themselves.  They can see our darkness just as easily as we can see theirs.  The world looks for the Light, but they can't see it because we are still living so much of the time in the darkness of our own sin because we have never surrendered it to God.

Look closely at verses 7-10 again.  God is clearly telling us that if we want to change our sinful habits, then we will have to stop walking like those who are in darkness.  God does not desire our empty words.  He knows that we formerly, when we were still lost, tried to make all kinds of changes through our own power and strength.  But now that we are the light, He wants us to walk like children of the Light.  The way that we do that, in part, is to begin to discover what it is that truly pleases the Lord.  And just how do we do that?  By reading the only Book that will reveal His heart to us!  When we read and pray about what He discloses to us, then He will begin to make the changes necessary in us by His Spirit.  There is no magic fairy dust that can be sprinkled on us that will simply change us because God wants us transformed.  He requires our surrender first, then our obedience to all He says.  That is the recipe for His Light to shine out of us. 

When we become involved with God at that level, the fruit of out relationship with Him will become evident to all.  In verse 9 God clearly states what the 'fruit of the light' is.  It is all goodness, all righteousness, and all truth.  When we walk in God's light by our deep fellowship with Him, the fruit of good works will quite naturally spring up in us and out of us.  You won't have to look for ways to share your faith.  You won't have to muster up the courage to share.  It will simply be the by-product of your loving, intimate, relationship with THE Light!  His light will be reflected  in your good works that He has called you to.  Then those in the darkness who witness your good works will see a reflection of Jesus, the Light of the world.  Then, given a chance,  the Holy Spirit will move in their lives. And with the Spirit, there is always an opportunity for them to meet Jesus personally!  And isn't that the point?  Jesus the Light desires and calls us to be the light to the world for the sole purpose of pointing others to the Light!  That is preaching the gospel!

What will the world, those still lost in darkness of their sin, see in you this Christmas season?  Will they see that you are just as greedy, impatient, irritated, short-fused, grouchy, and self-centered as they are?  Or will they see something different, a light coming out of you that is loving and compassionate, a light surely not of this world?

Jesus, Light of the World (12-3-12)

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Luke 2: 4-5

This week we will be preparing our hearts for the lighting of the second Advent Candle this coming Sunday.  The second purple candle of the Advent Wreath traditionally represents Bethlehem.  Our first candle, if you remember, pointed us back to the prophets who foretold the coming of Jesus, the Light of the world.  It seems quite appropriate that the second candle would encourage us next to remember the very place where Jesus was born.  Pondering Bethlehem this week, take time to consider where you are spiritually at currently, how Jesus can use someone as insignificant as we are, and even where Jesus found you when He drew you to His Light.  Take a look at today's Scripture.  Then travel back with me for a moment to ancient Bethlehem.

"Can you imagine the scene?  Bethlehem, the 'too little' city (Micah 5:2), teeming with more people than it could hold, animals running wildly in the dirty streets, more noise than the native could possibly stand, and of course, an astronomical increase in commerce!  Caesar Augustus surely had only given them a certain amount of time to get themselves registered under his census.  This description of Bethlehem sounds a little like our malls at Christmas, doesn't it?  It seems that there are just too many people, too much commotion, too many kids who are whining and crying as they stand in line to see Santa.  And every year, starting the day after Halloween, we feel the pressure of the short amount of time we have left to get everything bought, prepared,  and sent.  The 'countdown' to Christmas creates its own kind of frenzy, as we 'buy' into the pressures of Christmas, the pressures that we have created for ourselves.

But the spiritual scene of Bethlehem was far bleaker than the physical chaos of the day.  You see, for all who lived in or traveled to Bethlehem, whether Jew or Gentile, whether under the Law given by Moses or under Roman Law, this one thing was sure:  those who were gathering in Bethlehem were without a Savior.  The Messiah had not yet come, and spiritual darkness was the rule of the day.  The same could be said of most people today.

For the Jews, the only way that they could escape from sin was through their yearly atonement for their sins, a day called Yom Kippur.  Each year they would come and offer a sacrifice at the temple to remove God's penalty that they should receive for the sins that they had committed that year.  That is what they were required to do.  But that Law could never set them free from sinning again.   Returning to the temple and repeating this process, over and over again, for their entire lives, only left them in the exact same spiritual place.  They would continue to live in utter darkness because the Light had yet to shine into their personal darkness.

If we are believers in Christ, we have already experienced the freedom for sin that can only be found in Him.  But generally speaking, we still live in a very dark world.  Many, if not most, of our family members, our co-workers, the shoppers, the sales people, and the cashiers, and even our fellow football enthusiasts are still trapped in their sin and darkness, with no way of escape as long as they are continue to refuse the forgiveness of Christ.  There might even be some with whom we worship every Sunday who have not truly given themselves to the Christ Child.  The Light is not in them, and just like the Jews, and the Gentiles who were not yet grafted into God's family, people are lost and are living in the exact same total darkness.

Our reading for today tells of a man and woman who have made a very difficult journey to Bethlehem.  They were obedient to the one who was their earthly ruler, even though the trip would be quite uncomfortable, having been required of them at what appeared to be an ill-timed moment.  However, as the Lord would have it, Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem just in time for Mary to give birth to Jesus, the Light of the world.  That very night the Light would shine brightly in dark and sinful Bethlehem.  And with the passing of time, that Light has now spread to the entire world.

The time has come for you to step out in faith and bring the Light to someone you know who doesn't yet have the joy and the Light of Bethlehem.  Be obedient to the call of the One you claim is the Ruler of your life and preach the good news!  You might feel uncomfortable, even as Mary did as she traveled for days on a donkey in rough terrain being nine months pregnant, but it will be worth it!  Watch this week, and throughout the season, for someone with whom you can share your precious Light."

Jesus, Light of the World (12-2-2012)

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Isaiah 9: 6-7

"Today, in the Word, we see that Jesus is to be our burden bearer.  All too often we are walking under the heavy burden that is called 'self rule.'  We wrongly operate under the impression that we are to rule our lives.  But Jesus is the King and the Governor, or at least He is supposed to be.  We tend to wear heavy yokes as we try to walk out holiness, and we all too frequently collapse under the weight of it.  You see, the 'government' of our entire lives, yes EVERYTHING, is a yoke that is not fitted for our shoulders, but for the shoulders of Christ.  It is a yoke perfectly designed for Christ.

And the government (the rule of my life and yours) shall be upon His shoulders (not mine or yours) . . .

In order for us to experience an increase in peace, we must first lay our heavy and burdensome yokes down, in humble submission to His rule and authority in our lives.  With Jesus, there is no end to the governments (yokes) that He can wear and bear, for on Him is the government of every believer who chooses to take his yoke off.  Jesus is the only one who has no problem carrying the rule our lives.

When we give up the authority and 'right' to run our own lives, Jesus come and sets up His kingdom in us, and He becomes our King and Ruler.  Then He is responsible to uphold this new kingdom.  Righteousness becomes our way of life because of His rule in our lives.  And He will rule it forevermore.  For all eternity!  When Jesus bears our yoke, we need do nothing more than follow His lead.

When we come to this crossroads in our walk in His Light, we are blessed to experience the nature of Christ, the Light, in many new ways.  He becomes our Wonderful Counselor who gives us clear direction in our lives.  We see Him more often as the Mighty God, the One who can accomplish the impossible.  We know our God-family through Him as we sense the all-consuming love of our Everlasting Father, both now and with foreknowledge of the love we will enjoy in Heaven forever.  Can we continue another day, taking control of the life that was meant to be left in the hands of God?

Yes, Jesus is the Light, the Light of all men.  The prophets told us who He was and that He was coming.  Jesus, Himself, said that He was the Light of the world.  Who, then, are we to think we should be the god of our own lives, in light of who He is?  The question still remains:  Will we take a step deep with the One we call the Light?  If we do, we will find real peace this Christmastime.  But remember, peace is not a feeling inside us.  Peace is a Person, the Prince of Peace!  Seek Him, not it!"

Jesus, Light of the World (11-30-12)

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~For the next 26 days I will be sharing some Christmas thoughts with you from a devotional I wrote for our church 9 years ago.  It is based on the Advent Candles that we use each year in our church to prepare our hearts for Christmas.  I pray that you will be blessed by them in such a way that you will be able to experience the Christmas season with joy in your heart.  May the Light of Jesus shine brightly on your world, and out of you as well, so that the world might see Him.~

Isaiah 60: 1-3
This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent.  Traditionally, the Prophecy Candle is the first candle lit in the Advent Wreath.  There are so many prophecies in the Old Testament that foretold the birth of Christ and all who He would be to us that I will only choose a couple to share with you these two days leading up to the first Sunday of Advent.  The verses I have chosen should help us understand more clearly how much our hearts are in need of preparation, as we typically tend to fly into and through Christmas, only to be completely worn out as the sun sets on Christmas night. Begin to open your hearts now to the messages of the prophets, and the Holy Spirit will surely come to speak to you.

In today's reading God, through Isaiah, prophetically tells us of the coming Messiah.  Did you catch the references to light?  "Arise, shine, for your LIGHT has come . . ."  Jesus is the Light of the world.  When He came to earth, God's glory appeared upon Him.  Why would God want His glory to appear on Jesus?  That was the very way that God would draw the nations to Himself.  You see, if humans could just see  what the nature of God looked like, then the Spirit could draw them to Him.  What an awesome plan!  But when Isaiah penned these words in the spirit of God, did he know that it was Messiah that he was writing about?  And did he also know that he was writing about us, believers in Christ the Messiah?

We stand in an interesting place in history.  In Isaiah's day the coming of Messiah was a future event.  In the days of Jesus, it was a current event.  But today it is a past event.  The Messiah, our LIGHT, has already come, and those of us who know Him intimately have that very blessing of the glory of God both in us and coming out of us!  That promised blessing of the glory of the Lord rising on us is His glory, His beautiful Light, in the form of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us!

God's incredible and outrageous plan is that Christ, the Light of the world, lives in every believer!  It is through His light in us that He will draw others to salvation and to a life of walking in the Light.  How amazing that the One who created both physical and spiritual light would choose you and me to be a part of His plan, to be the very vessels He uses to light up the darkness!  He wants us to "carry the Light" to the whole world, but more importantly, to those around us who need a Savior.  The ones who live in darkness must have the Light brought to them.

Have you looked in the spiritual mirror lately?  God ahead.  Take a look.  What do you see?   Is the Light of Jesus shining out from you?  Is there anything coming out of you (like the fruit of the Spirit) that God can use to draw people to Himself?  The Light inside of you is not just for other believers.  It is for the lost as well.  Remember, what you saw when you looked in the mirror might be the only Light some of the lost may ever get the chance to see.  Do they see Jesus, the Light of the world?  All other light sources will fail them.  Who will experience your Light today?