Jesus 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 NIV). Jesus “was the light of all mankind” (John 1:4 NIV) and God has gifted us as “children of the light” (John 12:36 NIV) to carry the Light of Christ into a world filled with darkness. “You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:14-16 NIV). So, as children of the light, how do we do that? How do we carry His Light with His authority, love, and grace to people who desperately need to know His love for them? We must beam His Shekinah glory into the darkness. We are blessed with knowing Christ so that we can bless others and glorify our Father in heaven. So, let us pray for wisdom and revelation, as we dig into the Scripture for understanding. May God’s Word speak to our hearts with His transforming power.
We are to “believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light” (John 12:36 NIV). We must diligently pursue Truth and “continually ask God to fill you [us] with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you [we] may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you [we] may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you [us] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:9-13 NIV). “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness….Since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thess 5:5-11 NIV). Praise be to God!! As we pursue the heart of God, grow up in the faith, and practice the ways of Christ, we will strengthen our brothers and sisters in the Light.
Christ is “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:32 NIV). We are to “follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God…This you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:1-16 NIV). Let us learn well how Christ lived when He walked this earth and lived among us. In all purposeful diligence let us study the Word of God, so we will follow Christ and do as He did. If we live as Christ, we will bear good fruit, and our lives will radiate Him to the world. “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30 NIV). To God be the glory!
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you” (Isa 60:1 NIV). Peter, James, and John experienced the Shekinah glory of the Lord when they went with Jesus “onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ (He did not know what he was saying.) While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.’ When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone” (Luke 9:28-36 NIV). Can you imagine being there and seeing Jesus in all His glory? Praise be to God, for one day we, too will see His face and experience His glory. “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever” (Rev 22:3-5 NIV). Praise be to God!! Hallelujah!!! Peter shares his “shekinah glory” experience with us as he writes: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Pet 2:9-10 NASB). God has called us out of darkness to live in His marvelous light!! We are His children – we are children of light!! He’s given us His holy Word as “a lamp for my [our] feet, a light on my [our] path” (Ps 119:105 NIV). “In him we live and move and have our being’ (Acts 17:28 NIV). So, let us follow Christ Jesus and carry His Light into this world of darkness. To God be the glory!! Amen.
