Tag: light of the world

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John Devotionals

A world that needs light

Light in the darkness

In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it…

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. (John 1:4-5, 9)

Last week, I was reading the news and it said that 527 students from elementary school to high school committed suicide in Japan last year.

Just one is too many.

John tells us that in Jesus is life, and that he is the light-giver to those walking in darkness.

There are so many people living in that darkness. So many people living without hope.

And they need that light.

In my church, we’ve been talking recently about our Father’s eyes, and the importance of understanding how God sees us.

That understanding brings light to our darkness.

That’s what Jesus did for everyone he touched. Whenever people looked into his eyes, they saw the Father’s eyes. And it brought light into their darkness.

My prayer is that people would see Jesus in me. That when people look into my eyes, my wife, my daughter, my students, my coworkers, everyone I meet, they would see my Father’s eyes.

And that through me, God would bring his light into their darkness.

May we all have our Father’s eyes.

Categories
Matthew Devotionals

If the church is ever to change the world

Matthew

I have often read the beatitudes as things applying to individual Christians.

As I read it today, though, I thought about the church? Can we say these things of the church today?

Are we a church of the poor in spirit, people living each day in humble dependence on the grace of God?

Are we a church of people who have known and do know mourning, but also know Christ’s comfort?

Are we a church of the humble and gentle? Or of the proud and combative?

Are we a church that hungers and thirsts for righteousness? That weeps at and repents of its sin and rejoices in what is good?

Are we a church that is merciful? Or simply a church that rails at the sin around it?

Are we a church that is pure in heart, wholly devoted to our Savior?

Are we a church of peacemakers? People who reconcile people with their God and people with each other?

Are we a church of those who are sometimes persecuted for righteousness’ sake? Or does the world love us all the time because we think just like them?

If not, consider the words of Jesus.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty?

It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. (Matthew 5:13)

How many churches have lost their taste and no longer flavor the world?

Is it any wonder that the world is in the shape it is in?

You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.

No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (14-16)

Categories
John John 11

Walking by the light

John

When Jesus made the decision to go back to Judea to see Lazarus, his disciples objected, saying,

But Rabbi… a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there? (John 11:8)

Jesus’ answer is very striking.

Are there not twelve hours of daylight?

A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light. (John 11:9-10)

What is Jesus saying here? As long as he followed his Father’s will, he would be fine. As long as he trusted his Father’s leading, he would not stumble. It’s the person who fails to do either that falls into trouble.

It’s the same with us. We talked yesterday about how Jesus wants more than anything is for us to trust him.

When we choose to believe him and follow him, we’ll see things as they really are. We’ll see his love for us clearly despite our circumstances. We’ll see our trials for the temporary things that they are.

But when we walk apart from him who is the Light of the world, we find ourselves stumbling around in discouragement and despair because of all the trials and hurts that we go through.

How about you? How clearly are you seeing?

Categories
Isaiah

Reflecting the light of God

Isaiah

I love the first 3 verses of this chapter.

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. 

See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 

Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. (Isaiah 60:1-3)

Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.  

As I read this, I kind of wonder, what does it mean by “your light” and “your dawn?” 

It says in verse 1, “your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” 

So does that mean that the nations will come to the Lord who is our light?  Or does it mean that they will come to the light that we shine?

I would guess that’s it’s actually both.  That as the Lord shines upon us and through us, people will be attracted to him through us. 

This world is surrounded by evil and sin, and so people are left groping in the dark, without hope and without God in the world, as Ephesians puts it. (2:12) 

But when Jesus came, he was a light in the darkness, a beacon of hope.  And now he has put that beacon of hope into our lives, and he calls us to reach out with the light we’ve received and reflect it to the world around us.

It would be so easy to just bask in our own joy, and the salvation and redemption that we’ve received. 

But God calls us to shine our lights brightly that others may come to know the same joy that we have. 

As Jesus said,

You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.  (Matthew 5:14-16)

Categories
Exodus

Bread of life, light of the world

Bread of the presence
Jeremy Park, Bible-Scenes.com

Okay, I admit it.  These passages are very dry.  Do we seriously need all these details? 

I guess the Israelites did; they had to make these things, after all. 

But for the rest of us in the 21st century…well, I can hardly wait until the action starts rolling again.

Anyway, the symbols here do remind me of two things that Jesus said of himself.

Coincidentally or not, he made these statements in the exact same order as Moses did in the book of Exodus. 

Namely, he called himself the bread of life (John 6:35) and the light of the world (John 8:12).

The bread of the Presence was to be placed on a special table in the tabernacle at all times.  It was a reminder that God was ever present with the Israelites, leading them and taking care of their needs. 

Not only that, it reminded them that he was the one that provided bread from heaven that helped them to survive in the desert. 

But God was also pointing to Jesus, who is the true bread from heaven that gives life to the whole world.  (John 6:32-40) 

Just as bread helps give us physical life, Jesus gives us spiritual life. Anyone who looks to him and believes in him will have eternal life.

The other symbol was the golden lampstand.  It was to continuously be burning from evening to morning, and was a symbol of how God was to be their light. 

He was their light in the darkness as he led them out of Egypt and through the desert by means of the pillar of fire. 

But he was also their spiritual light who showed them the way of righteousness and holiness. 

In the same way, Jesus is the light of the world. 

Jesus shines his light of truth and life in the darkness of this sinful world, and the darkness has not been able to overcome it.  (John 1:5) 

As Jesus said,

He who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.  (John 8:12)

So many people in this world stumble around in life, searching for meaning to their lives. 

But it is only in Jesus that we find our true meaning and purpose in life.

As he shines his light in our lives, we start to see the direction we need to go, and we see the purposes for which he created us. 

After all, if we’re looking for meaning in life, who better to ask than the one who made us?

Are you seeking life beyond what is here on earth?  Then go to the bread of life.  The person who goes to Him, will never be spiritually hungry again.

Are you stumbling around in the dark, looking for meaning in your life? 

Look to the light of the world.  Only in him is the light of life where meaning and purpose is found.