The Lord Is Light
(2 Peter 1:19, Prov. 20:27, Rev. 22:5, Matt. 7:23)
When Peter, James, and John went with Jesus up on the mountain, they saw Him in heavenly glory. It is written He was transfigured. They heard our Father say, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” They saw and heard. Those three were obedient to not speak of this until much later. After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, Peter mentions it in his letter. He goes on to say we should pay attention to this word directly from God concerning His Son. It is like a light shining in a dark place. True prophecy brings light, it exposes and the darkness cannot remain.
Peter goes on to encourage us that as we give the light, and God’s words, place in our hearts, the morning star will rise as the day dawns within us. As I read this, I thought about our desire to see awakening. It is always happening, whether or not we are seeing it in dramatic unfolding. Do we want to see it so? Yes we do. But that very attitude can set us up to miss it. How many times Jesus healed someone and said don’t broadcast it. We can’t help ourselves. Humanity wants every good thing that God can give but on our terms. Haven’t we heard that many want the gift but are not much interested in intimate knowledge of the Giver? The light comes and men love their darkness and turn away.
Years ago, a friend put some words from Proverbs to music. Songs will stick with you. Singing scripture is very productive for spiritual growth. The words of his song. “The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord searching the inward parts. It takes a man of great understanding, it takes a God of compassion and grace, to draw out the thoughts in the heart of a man and lift them to a higher place.” These words echo Peter’s. We do well to allow the Lord to light up every dark corner of our hearts. We may feel some pain in exposure. I have known the bitterness of wanting to love and follow the Lord and find my own self-love in the way. It is all part of the process of cleaning out the old and softening the wineskin we are to hold fresh wine.
The riches of the Spirit of God are boundless. The pictures He gives to bring understanding are beautiful. As we behold Him our minds, the very spirit of our minds, are renewed and we are changed. Be aware of His work in you. Pray for His searching, and knowing of you. I am so grateful to have been directed into His narrow way, early in my walk. It may seem restrictive at the start, but it brings us to great liberty. It is like childbirth. If we do not fight the contractions but go with them, allowing the pain, we can know the sweetness of seeing new life.
Beware of being caught up in your successes. It remains a mystery that some could do works of faith, in His name, only to hear at the end, “Depart from me, I never knew you.” They never allowed the intimacy that probed the motives of their heart. We may know Him in measure, have tasted of the goodness of God, received some blessing, a healing, something we knew was from God but stopped going on to know Him more. Consider the questions He would ask those close to Him. Our response makes the difference and will be reflected in our eternal destiny. It will affect our destiny in this life also but much more important it will impact where we stand at the finish line. Be encouraged as Jesus will be with us every step of the way. His words and presence light the path.
